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Johan Ghazali may be young, but he doesn't let his age dictate his limits.
The teenage sensation already made a name for himself as one of the brightest young stars in ONE Championship, and he plans to reach supernova levels when he faces Josue Cruz at ONE 168: Denver.
Ghazali will take on Cruz in a flyweight Muay Thai contest on September 6 at Ball Arena.
In an interview with the South China Morning Post, Ghazali detailed that he plans to use his fight against the Mexican striker as a stepping stone in his quest for a world title shot.
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Johan Ghazali knows he's still far from the levels of his hero ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon, but a win in Denver is a surefire step to build further momentum.
He said:
"To have the belt, that's the priority. That's the biggest right now. But there are a few [items on my bucket list]. In this flyweight division, there are a few [fighters] I want to fight."
Ghazali, 17, burst through the ranks and went a perfect 5-0 with four knockouts in his first five fights under the ONE Championship banner.
'Jojo', however, got stopped momentarily when he dropped a unanimous decision loss to five-time Muay Thai world champion Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat at ONE 167 this past June in Bangkok.
Nevertheless, the teenage phenom is determined to get back on track and he could do just that against Cruz in Colorado.
Tickets for ONE 168 are available at Ticketmaster.
Johan Ghazali remains cautious of Josue Cruz ahead of Denver showdown
Johan Ghazali always talks big ahead of his fights, but he'll never be one to talk his opponents down.
In the same interview with the South China Morning Post, Ghazali said he's determined to secure a knockout win and the $50,000 bonus in Denver. What he isn't keen on doing, however, is underestimating the veteran Cruz.
Ghazali said:
"I hope so [to get a knockout]. That's the plan. 50 Gs, that's the plan. The truth is, he's 28, he's a decade older than me. I'm sure he has more experience than me. To underestimate him would be wrong. I don't underestimate anyone."
Watch Ghazali's entire interview below:
