Teen phenom Johan Ghazali returned to the Circle on Friday night, seeking his sixth-straight victory under the ONE Championship banner at ONE 167, emanating from the sold-out Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.
Standing in his way was Vietnamese standout Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat, who was looking to bounce back following a brutal knockout loss against 'The Bosnian Menace' Denis Purice in December.
Round 1: Nguyen comes out chopping at the lead legs of his opponent, but Ghazali is already walking back the Vietnamese fighter. Nguyen throws a front kick as Ghazali once again backs him up and unleashes a combination of strikes. Nguyen swings his way off the cage wall, but a series of body shots from Ghazali appears to have Nguyen compromised with little more than a minute to go in the opening round.
Nguyen stays on his back foot, and Ghazali continues to pursue, pushing the pace and landing a slew of strikes just before the bell sounds.
Round 2: Ghazali comes out and quickly closes the distance, looking to land some blows in the clinch. Nguyen circles the cage wall and eats a big right hand from Ghazali. Nguyen fires back with a right hand and follows it up with a stiff calf kick. The two exchange a series of strikes in close and Ghazali calls for Nguyen to stand and trade with him in the center of the Circle.
Nguyen initially accepts, holding his ground, but the pressure of Ghazali forces him back once again. Nguyen lands a straight left as Ghazali goes back to the body, punishing his opponent's midsection. Nguyen fires off a head kick that partially connects moments before the round ends.
Round 3: Ghazali opens things with a body kick followed by a leg kick that gets checked by Nguyen. Ghazali gets taken off his feet with a calf kick coming back his way. Ghazali appears to be compromised from the damage to his leg, but still, he is calling for Nguyen.
Nguyen continues the backward motion and throws a kick that lands low on Ghazali bringing a brief pause to the action. The fight resumes with 60 seconds to go and Ghazali unleashes a big right hand that misses the mark. Nguyen returns fire with a solid left hand. With 10 seconds left, Nguyen picks up the pace and lands a couple of solid blows just before the bell sounds.
ONE 167 - Johan Ghazali vs. Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat official result
Though Johan Ghazali brought pressure throughout the match, Nguyen's counter-striking appeared to get the job done in the eyes of the judges. With the victory, Nguyen climbs back into the win column while Ghazali suffers his first defeat under the ONE Championship banner.
Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat defeated Johan Ghazali via unanimous decision.