ONE Championship: “I belong in there with anyone” - Diego Paez open to all challenges after statement win vs Johan Ghazali

Colombian-American Muay Thai veteran Diego Paez is coming off a much-needed victory in ONE Championship, and now he's ready to face the very best the world's largest martial arts organization has to offer.

Paez took care of business against highly regarded Malaysian-American striker 'Jojo' Johan Ghazali, winning via hard-fought split decision at ONE Fight Night 32: Nakrob vs. Jaosuayai on Prime Video last week.

With the victory, Paez says he's ready to take on anyone in the ONE Championship ring. However, he says he is comfortable letting the promotion decide who is next.

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The Classic Fight Team representative told Nick Atkin of Bangkok Post in a recent interview:

"I'm not a big fan to call out right now. I still feel like I'm earning my respect, but like I said, I belong in there with anyone. I feel I'm the best fighter in the world, and I'm willing to prove it against anybody."

ONE Fight Night 32: Nakrob vs. Jaosuayai on Prime Video was broadcast live from the iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on June 7. Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action via replay on-demand with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.

Diego Paez believes Johan Ghazali will be back: "He's got a big future ahead"

Diego Paez believes fallen foe Johan Ghazali still has a lot of positive things going for him despite the loss at ONE Fight Night 32: Nakrob vs. Jaosuayai on Prime Video last weekend.

Paez had nothing but respect and praise for the Malaysian-American following their showdown. The 31-year-old said:

"You know, I didn't have much to say to him. I was enjoying my moment. But like I said earlier, he's a respectable opponent, you know. He's got a big future ahead."

Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding Diego Paez's next fight.

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 Anurag Mitra