Malaysian-American striking sensation Johan Ghazali will look to snap a two-bout losing streak when the teenage fighter faces Zakaria El Jamari in flyweight Muay Thai action at ONE Fight Night 35: Buntan vs. Hemetsberger on Friday, September 5. The high-stakes bout goes down at Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium and represents a crucial crossroads for Ghazali, who enters the contest hungry for redemption after consecutive setbacks in ONE Championship.
Johan Ghazali Embraces Redemption Opportunity Against El Jamari
“Jojo” understands the significance of his upcoming clash with El Jamari, viewing it as an opportunity to prove his evolution as a martial artist. After suffering back-to-back defeats, Johan Ghazali enters the contest with renewed motivation and a chip on his shoulder.
“Honestly, it means a lot to get this chance at revenge or redemption. I’ve been wanting to fight ever since my last defeat. Stepping back in there with two losses in a row, it’s going to feel different. But me? I’m the same old me. But the difference I guarantee is an evolved version of myself,” Johan Ghazali revealed.
The teenage fighter, who has a longtime girlfriend, has used his recent setbacks as fuel for improvement, spending countless hours refining his craft and addressing the weaknesses exposed in his previous outings. His confidence remains intact despite the adversity, suggesting a fighter who has learned valuable lessons from defeat.
Young Star Johan Ghazali Dismissive Of El Jamari’s Striking Arsenal
Johan Ghazali showed little respect for his opponent’s abilities when discussing El Jamari’s skill set, particularly targeting the Moroccan’s limited striking repertoire. The 18-year-old believes his superior technical ability and fight IQ will prove decisive when the two flyweights clash in September.
“He has decent boxing – that’s about it. Nothing more. He doesn’t impress me. Round one will be fast. Round two, just the same. The more he comes forward, the easier it’ll be for me to read his moves and find an opening. If I see the chance for the knockout, I’m going to take it,” the teenage fighter stated confidently.
The bold prediction suggests Johan Ghazali expects to control the tempo and find early opportunities to end the contest. His assessment of El Jamari’s one-dimensional approach indicates he plans to exploit perceived gaps in his adversary’s game.
Nong-O Partnership Elevating Johan Ghazali’s Training Camp
Johan Ghazali has enlisted the help of reigning ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion Superbon and former ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Nong-O Hama to prepare for this pivotal bout.
“For this fight camp, Nong-O has really been helping me a lot. He’s also been giving a lot of tips, and he never goes easy on sparring. It’s crazy, but I’m making the most of this chance to share the mats with someone who has 300 fights,” Johan Ghazali explained.
The partnership with Nong-O represents a significant upgrade in training quality and could provide the edge that the teenage fighter needs to return to winning ways against El Jamari.
ONE Fight Night 35 airs live on Prime Video on Friday, September 5. The action begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. The event is free for all Amazon Prime subscribers in the U.S. and Canada.
