OFN 32: “Fight the golden boys” - Johan Ghazali expects to see more of fellow flyweight phenoms Freddie Haggerty, Estupinan twins

At just 18, Johan Ghazali isn’t easing his way through the flyweight ranks—he wants the hardest fights now. The Malaysian-American returns to action at ONE Fight Night 32: Rodrigues vs. Cohen, where he’ll face Diego Paez in a U.S. primetime Muay Thai bout on June 6, live from the legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.

Speaking ahead of the event, “Jojo” made it clear that he’s already eyeing the division’s most hyped rising stars:

"If I could choose my next fights, I want to fight the golden boys," he said. "I want to fight Freddie. I want to fight the Estupinans [Johan and Jordan]. Johan’s brother is pretty good."

The fighters he’s calling out, Freddie Haggerty and the Estupinan twins, represent the new wave: fast, technical, and building highlight reels early. Ghazali isn’t waiting for the perfect time. He wants them now, while the spotlight’s still rising.

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“I want to fight that old guy” - Rising star Johan Ghazali says veterans Denis Puric, Jacob Smith are still on his radar

But Johan Ghazali hasn’t forgotten about the smith-still-radar" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">veterans either. He’s still got unfinished business in mind when it comes to fighters like Denis Puric and Jacob Smith, two experienced names who’ve been holding the line in the flyweight division.

"I want to fight that old guy, Denis Puric," he said. "I’ve always been thinking of Denis Puric. I really want to fight him. And Jacob Smith, why not? I think these are the names I’d like to face in my coming fights. Also, these are the names I believe people want to see me fight."

For now, though, his focus is locked on Paez. It’s Ghazali’s ninth appearance in ONE and a chance to bounce back strong after a tough outing against Johan Estupinan. A win on June 6 could put him right back in the mix with the names he’s chasing.

"But, for now, I'm only focused on getting the win here."

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About the author

Charlene is a MMA writer with 5 years of experience writing content in various formats. She inadvertently fell into the rabbit hole of MMA after she (begrudgingly) joined her friend for a class and ended up enjoying it far beyond her expectations. She has a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and once dreamed of becoming a sports doctor before she found her true calling in writing.

She has ghostwritten for various health, fitness, and martial arts businesses. Despite the busyness of her day-to-day, she occasionally finds the time to practice Boxing and Muay Thai at home with her coach/husband and their many cats as their rapt audience.

She has organized a few local MMA events and aspires to establish her own little gym someday.

Outside of work, Charlene enjoys books, video games, and anime.

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Edited by C. Naik