Johan Ghazali unimpressed by Zakaria El Jamari’s abilities ahead of ONE Fight Night 35

Johan “Jojo” Ghazali seeks to end his losing streak against an opponent he considers inferior. The teenage knockout artist faces Zakaria El Jamari determined to prove his recent setbacks were temporary obstacles rather than permanent problems.

Ghazali meets El Jamari in flyweight Muay Thai action at ONE Fight Night 35: Buntan vs. Hemetsberger on Prime Video on Friday, September 5, inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium. The 18-year-old Malaysian-American enters seeking his first victory since consecutive defeats to Johan Estupinan and Diego Paez.

Back-to-back losses tested Ghazali’s confidence after he built his reputation through devastating knockouts. The Sarawakian striker owns five knockouts from six ONE Championship victories, establishing himself as one of the promotion’s most dangerous young talents.

His recent defeats revealed areas needing improvement beyond raw power. Ghazali showed flashes of evolved technique against both Estupinan and Paez despite losing both contests.

The teenager believes his technical development will overwhelm El Jamari when combined with his natural finishing ability. Ghazali expects the Moroccan striker to move forward aggressively, creating opportunities for counter-attacks.

Training at Superbon Training Camp in Bangkok has provided access to elite instruction from multiple ONE World Champions. The environment pushes Ghazali daily through intense sessions with proven competitors.

“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,” Ghazali said.

“He has decent boxing – that’s about it. Nothing more. He doesn’t impress me. Either way you look at it, I’ll be ahead of him in any area of this fight. I have evolved.”

Johan Ghazali credits Nong-O training partnership

Nong-O Hama serves as Johan Ghazali’s primary sparring partner during this camp. The 267-fight veteran provides invaluable experience while never taking it easy on the teenager during gym sessions.

The former bantamweight champion’s technical eye helps identify areas needing refinement. Ghazali appreciates the opportunity to train with someone possessing such extensive experience.

“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,” he said.

“Besides all the tips, his eye for recognizing what needs to be fixed is really good.”