ONE 167: “He stays humble and hungry” – Chatri Sityodtong on what teenage phenom Johan Ghazali must do to achieve full potential

ONE Championship chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong believes Malaysian teenage sensation 'Jojo' Johan Ghazali could potentially become a massive global superstar if he plays his cards right.

Ghazali is a mere 17 years old, but the knockout artist has shown poise and wisdom well beyond his years. This has resulted in an impressive mean streak in the world's largest martial arts organization.

Sityodtong told ONE Championship about Ghazali:

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"I don’t know many 17 or 18-year-olds who can handle that fame, that kind of money, and not lose his or her way. I hear Jojo is a hardworker, his work ethic is outstanding. If that’s the case and he stays humble and hungry, he can be a global superstar for ONE Championship, for sure."

The Malaysian teenage sensation joined ONE Championship via ONE Friday Fights in February 2023. Since then, the 17-year-old has won all five of his bouts, including four by knockout.

'Jojo' Johan Ghazali is set to return to action against Vietnamese veteran Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat at ONE 167: Tawanchai vs. Nattawut II on Prime Video.

The event broadcasts live from the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.

Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action live and absolutely free via Amazon Prime Video on Friday, June 7th, in U.S. primetime.

Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding the event.

Chatri Sityodtong calls Johan Ghazali potentially 'the next Rodtang'

Just how much star potential does 'Jojo' Johan Ghazali have? ONE Championship chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong gave the 17-year-old some really high praise recently, going as far as saying that the Malaysian sensation could follow in the footsteps of global superstar 'The Iron Man' Rodtang Jitmuangnon.

Sityodtong said:

"The very first time I saw Jojo fight, I messaged our matchmaker for ONE Friday Fights. I told him, ‘sign this guy’. World championship talent is very very important but there also has to be an X-factor, and Jojo has it. He potentially, could be the next Rodtang, if he stays humble and hungry."

About the author

Dan is an MMA writer with 10+ years of overall experience. Before his ongoing tenure at Sportskeeda, Dan got the opportunity to be at the forefront of the sport by contributing to ONE Championship and Fight Game Asia. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology.

Dan’s connection to MMA started during the early days of the UFC and ONE Championship. He previously practiced boxing and ranks Demetrious Johnson, Anderson Silva, Georges St-Pierre, Jon Jones, and Fedor Emelianenko as the top five MMA fighters of all time.

He has covered several events onsite and on the ground for ONE Championship and hopes to continue doing so. He ensures that he churns out accurate articles by citing only legitimate sources and getting firsthand accounts through exclusive interviews whenever required.

Dan feels MMA fighter pay seems like an issue because it often gets compared to what fighters earn in boxing but that MMA will eventually catch up in the future.

His other interests include soccer and video games.

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Edited by Tejas Rathi