Striking prodigy Johan Ghazali wary of battle-tested veteran Josue Cruz: "He is more experienced than me"

Inexperience was a defining factor in Johan Ghazali's last outing under the ONE Championship banner.

The teenage striker has been on a rapid trajectory since signing with the promotion and earning himself a spot on the main roster.

ONE 167 at the start of June saw him learn a few vital lessons in suffering his first defeat at the Impact Arena in Bangkok.

His winning run was brought to an end by Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat who outweighed him both in experience and age.

Ghazali's opponent was able to stay calm and calculated in the face of his relentless pressure and aggression and that ended up being key.

The exciting prospect is now set to return at ONE 168 against another opponent who, after looking into his background, Ghazali believes could present similar tests for him.

In an interview with Borneo Post Online, he spoke about how Josue Cruz has gotten more miles on the clock ahead of their first meeting:

"I have studied and watched videos of the fights of my opponent who is 28 years old, almost 12 years older than me, I am sure he is more experienced than me."

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Johan Ghazali can show his evolution in this fight

There is a chance, considering how fast and explosive he is, that Johan Ghazali can blow out Josue Cruz as he has done to many opponents.

However, this fight gets very interesting if, like Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat before him, Cruz is able to survive this oncoming storm and take the fight into deeper waters.

Ghazali needs to show that he learned from his first setback by being more mature and calculated in his approach to pressure and shot selection.

September 6 is a big moment for his career and progression.

Tickets for ONE 168: Denver are available via Ticketmaster.