"It all happened so fast" - Striking prodigy Johan Ghazali admits disbelief that he's a ONE rising star at age 17

Johan Ghazali has been one of the fastest-rising stars in ONE Championship over the last year and a half.

The striking prodigy was the breakout star of 2023 following his impressive run of performances on the Friday Fights series and his main roster debut.

Despite everything that he accomplished last year, Ghazali says that it didn't surprise him because he knows how hard he works.

However, in a recent interview with 4oz to Freedom, he did admit that the one thing that did catch him off guard was how quickly it has all happened for him:

"Ever since I started fighting, about one or two fights in when I started my professional career, I knew that this would happen. I knew that one day I would be in ONE Championship. I knew that I would have the contract. I knew all this would happen but I didn't know it would happen this fast.

"That's what surprised me. Was it shocking? Not really, because I know the work that I put in. I know my work ethic. I train every day for five, six years now. It didn't come by surprise but it shocked me that it all happened so fast."

Watch the full interview below:

---

Johan Ghazali looks to keep pace at ONE 167

Following his rapid rise in 2023, it has been a while since we last saw Johan Ghazali compete inside the Circle.

His first outing of 2024 comes at ONE 167 where he will take on Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat at the Impact Arena in Bangkok.

The next test of his career sees him take on an experienced competitor as he looks to continue rising up the rankings fight by fight.

2024 could be another big year for "Jojo" as more emphasis is placed on quality over quantity in regards to his activity.

ONE 167 will air live in US prime time on June 7, free of charge for North American viewers with an active subscription.