“Opportunities are endless” - Striking phenom Johan Ghazali sees Muay Thai overtaking MMA soon

Johan Ghazali believes Muay Thai has never been as popular as it is today.

That said, the 18-year-old striking prodigy sees 'The Art of Eight Limbs' gaining more traction worldwide for years to come, thanks in large part to ONE Championship bringing it to the global stage.

'Jojo' even made a bold claim that Muay Thai could eventually surpass mixed martial arts in popularity.

The Malaysian-American upstart said during the ONE 170 Virtual Media Day:

"I feel Muay Thai will be bigger than MMA someday. But if the opportunity comes [for an MMA transition], you know, why not? Opportunities are endless."

Johan Ghazali is part of the new generation of promising talent in Muay Thai, which has no doubt brought a new set of eyeballs to the sport. The teen wonder already showcases a deep understanding of the intricacies of Muay Thai, to go along with some mind-numbing power and alluring charisma.

At ONE 170, the youngster will face a fellow electric prospect to determine who moves up the pecking order of the stacked flyweight Muay Thai division.

The Rentap Muay Thai and Superbon Training Center affiliate will battle undefeated Colombian buzzsaw Johan Estupinan on Jan. 24 at Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.

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Johan Ghazali says he deserves a ranked opponent if he beats Johan Estupinan

Johan Ghazali raced through an impressive 6-1 record in the home of martial arts.

While 'Jojo' has no qualms about climbing the ladder, he believes ONE 170 will be the perfect opportunity to prove he can hang with the upper echelon of the division.

That said, Ghazali is expecting someone from the top 5 next if he can hand 'Panda Kick' his first career loss. He told ONE:

"To get into the top-five rankings, I don't think this fight will get me there, but it could - maybe. I think they'd need me to fight one more time before I get into the rankings."

Fans in the United States and Canada can watch ONE 170 free via Amazon Prime Video.