ONE Championship: “I committed my whole life to this” - Diego Paez extremely satisfied with his breakthrough win against Johan Ghazali

31-year-old Colombian-American brawler Diego Paez is over the moon following his hard-fought split decision victory over tough Malaysian-American upstart 'Jojo' Johan Ghazali last weekend.

Paez and Ghazali locked horns at ONE Fight Night 32: Nakrob vs. Jaosuayai on Prime Video on Saturday, with the more experienced fighter taking home the victory by a small margin on the judges' scorecards.

More importantly, Paez now finds himself in the winner's circle in the world's largest martial arts organization, and is looking forward to what's to come.

Speaking to veteran MMA reporter Nick Atkin of Bangkok Post after the fight, Paez thanked ONE Championship chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong and expressed his delight with the performance.

Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more

The 31-year-old Classif Fight Team representative said:

"So again, thank you Chatri [Sityodtong] for bringing me here, for giving me the opportunity to perform. This is a lifelong dream for me. I committed my whole life to this, my whole life."

ONE Fight Night 32: Nakrob vs. Jaosuayai on Prime Video went down live from the iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on Saturday, 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 says back was against the wall at ONE Fight Night 32 on Prime Video: "I don't have room to lose"

Diego Paez understood the direness of the situation when he stepped into the ONE Championship ring at ONE Fight Night 32: Nakrob vs. Jaosuayai on Prime Video against Johan Ghazali.

The 31-year-old believes he needed the victory more than his opponent:

"I knew in this fight, I'm sorry, but I don't have room to lose. He has room to lose. And so I had to go out there and win my fight. But all the best to him. I hope he goes back, he gets his training in. He's got a good team behind him. He's got a bright future ahead of him, too."

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.

Know More

Follow One Championship News, Schedule & Results at Sportskeeda.

Edited by C. Naik