“I'm not a stepping stone” - Diego Paez warns Johan Ghazali not to underestimate him at ONE Fight Night 32

Diego Paez knows the spotlight’s not exactly on him going into ONE Fight Night 32, but he’s not bothered.

The Colombian-American striker is set to take on teenage Muay Thai prodigy Johan Ghazali on June 6, and from the outside looking in, it’s easy to see why most of the hype is on the younger fighter. Ghazali’s had his name buzzing ever since he signed with ONE, racking up highlight-reel knockouts and landing a big contract while still a teenager.

Paez understands, and he's just biding his time until he gets his moment. Speaking with Combat Sports Today, he said:

"For sure. I'm very excited. I'm blessed. I know ONE really likes to promote them, and I know I can read between the lines. I see what people think and I see what's going on, but I'm not a stepping stone. You guys aren't going to, you know, you're not going to use me as a marketing tool."

He’s not here to play the opponent in someone else’s breakout story. But he's fine with letting them assume things - they'll really see what he's made of when he enters the Circle.

Watch the full interview below:

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"I've seen why he looses" - Diego Paez believes he has the perfect plan in store to exploit Johan Ghazali's flaws

Johan Ghazali’s most recent outing against Johan Estupinan showed that the young striker isn’t invincible, and Diego Paez has been paying attention to the gaps in his game.

He’s done the homework, watched the tape, and believes he’s figured out what makes Ghazali tick, and where he comes undone.

"I've seen him lose, and I've seen why he loses," he said. "And I know what he's good at. I know what he's not good at. And I'm going to go out there and just use all of my weapons and use all of skills and use my fight IQ."

Watch Diego Paez and Johan Ghazali in action at ONE Fight Night 32 on June 6, available to fans in Canada and North America with an active Prime Video subscription.