Johan Ghazali remains in high spirits despite ONE 167 defeat

Johan Ghazali may have suffered his first defeat in ONE Championship, but his warrior spirit remains resolute.

The American-Malaysian phenom experienced a disappointing loss at ONE 167 on Prime Video last Friday, June 7, at Bangkok, Thailand’s Impact Arena. There, he bowed to Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat in a flyweight Muay Thai clash.

During the bout, Duy Nhat expertly leveraged his experience to neutralize Ghazali’s powerful strikes. It culminated in an upset victory that few had predicted, putting an end to the 17-year-old’s 5-0 undefeated streak in the promotion.

“It was frustrating because Nguyen is a technical fighter. He has a lot of experience. He knew what was coming before it came,” Ghazali said of his veteran opponent.

While many young fighters might be disheartened by such a setback, “Jojo” is choosing to view it as a valuable learning experience.

“Sorry to all the Malaysian fans who came out from Malaysia all the way to Bangkok to support me. I 100 percent felt their support in there. Keep on supporting me. I do it for the fans. I’ll be back,” he said.

“I’ve lost before. I’ve lost in life. Losing is a part of life. Don’t judge me on my wins. Judge me on how I come back from my losses.”

Chatri Sityodtong still sees bright future ahead for Johan Ghazali

ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong also shares a positive outlook on Johan Ghazali’s budding career.

The head honcho believes that the Rentap Muay Thai representative has ample time to evolve both physically and technically in order to get to the next level.

“’Jojo’ is still young. He is still 17. He has less experience. His opponent is the #1 fighter from Vietnam. He’s 35 and he has a lot more experience. I think that ‘Jojo’ needs to gain a lot more experience in the future,” Chatri said.