Johan Ghazali learned a lot from his recent setback against Diego Paez: “I’m trying to evolve my style a lot now”

The rising Malaysian-American Muay Thai star, Johan ‘Jojo’ Ghazali, believes he has learned the lessons he needed, following a couple of heartbreaking setbacks in ONE Championship, most recently a loss to Colombia’s Diego Paez earlier this year.

The 18-year-old phenom admitted that he needed to evolve his game from being just a pure, all-out brawler looking for a knockout to a calculated tactician, capable of spinning a fight-winning game plan in the heat of battle.

Speaking to the South China Morning Post in a recent interview, Ghazali revealed his commitment to his growth as a fighter and prioritized his development.

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‘Jojo’ stated:

"Yeah, I think so. I think it was better than I thought. But honestly, I'm trying to evolve my style a lot now. So, I'm trying to mix a lot of things into my style rather than just going full on, just trying to knock somebody out and just hoping for a lucky punch, you know? So it takes steps for me to get to the point where I want to be. And even after the fight, everyone told me that."

Ghazali’s future in the world’s largest martial arts organization is bright, and if he plays his cards right, he will see success in ONE, inevitably.

Johan Ghazali returns to face Zakaria El Jamari at ONE Fight Night 35 on Prime Video

18-year-old striking sensation ‘Jojo’ Johan Ghazali can’t wait to show fans how much he has improved since his last fight, when he takes on dangerous Moroccan adversary Zakaria El Jamari.

The two lock horns at ONE Fight Night 35: Buntan vs. Hemetsberger on Prime Video, which will broadcast live in U.S. primetime on Friday, September 5, from the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action live and absolutely free with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.

Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding Johan Ghazali’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 Himakshu Vyas