"He's pretty strong" - Johan Ghazali gives props to Zakaria El Jamari after ONE Fight Night 35 thriller

Johan Ghazali walked away from his flyweight Muay Thai redemption fight with renewed confidence after delivering the kind of performance that reminded everyone why he was once considered one of the sport's brightest young prospects.

The 18-year-old Malaysian-American striker bounced back from his recent struggles in impressive fashion, utilizing a short-range elbow work to overcome the tough challenge presented by Moroccan warrior Zakaria El Jamari at ONE Fight Night 35 inside Bangkok's legendary Lumpinee Stadium last Friday.

The redemption performance validated the Rentap Muay Thai Gym and Superbon Training Camp athlete's decision to make significant changes to his training approach, suggesting that his earlier struggles were more about adaptation than any fundamental decline in his abilities.

During the post-event press conference, he showed respect for his opponent's toughness while acknowledging the effectiveness of his finishing weapons.

Johan Ghazali said:

"He's pretty strong. But nobody can really take an elbow. So, yeah."

The victory should restore much of the momentum that young ‘Jojo’ had built during his meteoric rise through the flyweight Muay Thai rankings before his recent setbacks against Johan Estupinan and Diego Paez.

His ability to bounce back from adversity with such a convincing performance suggests that his earlier struggles were merely growing pains rather than signs of decline.

North American fight fans can witness this epic fight and the entire ONE Fight Night 35 card via replay for free on Amazon Prime Video.

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Johan Ghazali reveals he was fired up to 'put on a show' for the fans

Johan Ghazali entered his ONE Fight Night 35 matchup with his back against the wall. Despite the added pressure to redeem himself after consecutive losses on martial arts' biggest stage, the teenage sensation was simply having none of it.

During the same presser, the Young gun added:

"I wanted to put on a show for the fans as well. So, I was just waiting for the right opportunity to elbow, because I knew he was taking my punches well."

His first-round TKO of El Jamari, registered at the 2:10 mark of the stanza, earned him his sixth finish in ONE Championship. Four of his knockouts have come inside the very first round.