"Pressure makes diamonds" - Johan Ghazali looking at the bright side of shocking setback against Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat

You learn a lot about a fighter in defeat, and this says about Johan Ghazali that he has a good head on his shoulders. The teenage striker had one of the fastest climbs up the ladder that we've seen in ONE Championship, following an incredibly impressive run on the Friday Fights series.

After earning a contract on the main roster and producing his first win, the first real adversity in his career set him back last time out at ONE 167.

Ghazali was defeated by Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat at the Impact Arena in a fight that saw him learn many vital lessons in real-time, which will undoubtedly make him better going forward.

However, not every fighter is able to look at losses in this way and bounce back with confidence. Ghazali is looking to do just that when he faces Josue Cruz at ONE 168 on September 6, as he stated in a recent interview with ONE Championship:

"Like I said, pressure makes diamonds. And I'm trying my best to become a diamond, and yeah, I'm confident I'll live up to what people say about me."

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Johan Ghazali hasn't had his confidence knocked

Johan Ghazali is still prepared to stay the course and keep working towards his dreams despite suffering his first loss. The defeat doesn't appear to have derailed him, but he was able to learn from the fight, which is the best outcome for him.

Every fighter will face adversity in their careers, but being able to overcome this by getting better is crucial.

Ghazali didn't fight smart at ONE 167, and it cost him against a seasoned competitor who was able to remain composed.

After coming up short, he will look to get back to winning ways against Cruz at the Ball Arena in a massive spotlight moment for him.

Tickets for ONE 168: Denver are available here via Ticketmaster.