Johan Ghazali ONE Fight Night 32: Muay Thai phenom Johan Ghazali determined to "be the best in this sport" before tackling other challenges outside the ring

Muay Thai phenom Johan Ghazali understands the pressure of being viewed as the next big thing in the sport, which is why it is unsurprising to hear him say that he is supremely focused on Muay Thai over everything else.

As he prepares to trade leather with Diego Paez at ONE Fight Night 32 on June 6 inside the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, 'Jojo' recently spoke with the South China Morning Post about the fight and his future plans.

The Malaysian-American phenom stated:

"And I'm gonna show everyone that I'm going to be the best in this sport, whether you guys like it or not. It's gonna happen. And then I'm gonna be the best actor, next to Tom Cruise."

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Watch the entire interview below:

Ever since he arrived in ONE in February 2023, the 18-year-old has always carried himself as if he is already a ONE Muay Thai world champion, which is a great sign this early into his career.

Owing to his youthful energy and charismatic personality, many expect him to try his hand at being an actor. Though he is open to it, his most recent statement points to that venture taking a backseat to his fighting career, at least for the immediate future.

Johan Ghazali states he is '80 percent ready' for Diego Paez fight

Following a tough unanimous decision defeat to Johan Estupinan in January, Johan Ghazali teased that he is nearing perfect form ahead of ONE Fight Night 32.

He said as much in an interview with Stadium Astro:

"I have been at Superbon Training Camp for a month now for my fight preparation. So right now, I think I'm physically 80 percent ready, and there's only one month left before the fight."

ONE Fight Night 32 will be available live and free to all Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.

About the author

Karl has been an MMA writer at Sportskeeda since 2023. He holds a Bachelor of Arts major in history, which helps him pay attention to the finer details while writing, and also has first-hand experience in boxing. He has a total experience of 5 years, and has worked for the International Business Times.

Karl turned into an MMA fan back in 2011 after watching Tito Ortiz defeat Ryan Bader via first-round submission at UFC 132. He has interviewed ONE world champions like Eduard Folayang, Joshua Pacio, Stamp Fairtex, and Tawanchai in his career so far.

On the non-MMA side of things, he interviewed WWE superstar Matt Riddle in 2021 and his question about Roman Reigns elicited an interesting answer which was widely covered by outlets like Sportskeeda and Cultaholic Wrestling's YouTube channel. He has also interviewed NBA stars Dwight Howard, Nick Young, Andre Roberson, Shabazz Muhammad, Jason Williams and Brian Scalabrine plus Filipino women's volleyball star Alyssa Valdez.

Karl ensures to double-check facts before using them in articles, and reads up on potential topics for pieces a day before. In his off time, he likes to play video games, and keep up with basketball and pro wrestling.

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Edited by Krishna Venki