“Like hanging out with my best friend” - Johan Ghazali says he enjoyed his downtime with ‘chill guy’ Superlek in Malaysia

Teen phenom Johan Ghazali had the opportunity to hang out and train with reigning two-sport king Superlek Kiatmoo9 in Malaysia during some much-needed downtime.

On Saturday, Feb. 22, Ghazali and 'The Kicking Machine' hosted a training seminar at Titiwangsa Stadium in Kuala Lumpur. In the days before and after, Ghazali and Superlek had an opportunity to hang out in the Southeast Asian country.

Speaking with Sportskeeda MMA in an exclusive interview, Ghazali shared his experience of working with Superlek, revealing that it was far different from their usual training sessions in Thailand:

"Yeah, yeah. It was different than just training with him. It’s cool because Superlek is such a chill guy. He’s not very uptight or serious. It’s like hanging out with my best friend."

While 'Jojo' is coming off just his second loss under the ONE Championship banner in January, Superlek will step back into the Circle seeking another big win as part of one of the most anticipated fight cards of the year on Sunday, March 23.

---

Superlek meets Nabil Anane in a world title unification clash at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang

Emanating from the iconic Saitama Super Arena, Superlek is set to put his ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world championship on the line against the interim bantamweight Muay Thai titleholder, Nabil Anane, at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang.

This will be the second time Anane and Superlek have crossed paths on martial arts' biggest global stage. The first was at ONE Friday Fights 22 in June 2023, when Anane made his promotional debut.

On that night, 'The Kicking Machine' secured a quick-fire finish just past the two-minute mark of the opening round. However, a lot has changed since then.

Anane responded to the loss by winning six straight fights, including a shocking first-round knockout of Nico Carrillo at ONE 170 to claim the interim bantamweight belt.

Will the six-foot-four Algerian-Thai sensation avenge his only loss under the ONE banner and turn his interim title into 26 pounds of undisputed gold, or will 'The Kicking Machine' go two-up on the 20-year-old standout?

ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang will emanate from the Saitama Super Arena in Japan on Sunday, March 23. Head over to watch.onefc.com to learn more about how you can watch the event live.