Superbon gives advice to young rising star after deflating loss: “Never give up”

ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion Superbon has advised teenage Muay Thai phenom Johan Ghazali not to give up on his dreams following defeat at ONE Fight Night 32.

“Jojo” played his part in an exciting flyweight Muay Thai duel with American striker Diego Paez on Friday, June 6, at Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium. He ultimately lost a split decision. But Superbon advised him not to take the setback to heart.

As one of the greatest strikers in the world, Superbon has reached the summit of many mountains. He’s also trekked through multiple valleys, too. And the lessons he’s learned along the way have helped mold him into a modern-day superstar.

The back-to-back defeats aren’t ideal for Ghazali’s run in ONE Championship. But Superbon reminded the youngster to take it all in his stride, and that brighter days are ahead.

“‘Jojo’ listen to me. You lose, it means nothing, I’ve fought maybe 300 times and I’ve lost like a hundred times, but I still became the champion anyway,” Superbon said.

“If you keep going, if you never give up, you will be the champion. So losing? Winning? They are just part of the process.”

Superbon confident Johan Ghazali can become flyweight force in Muay Thai

When Johan Ghazali entered ONE Championship’s radar, his rise became undeniable. The power he possesses at only 18 years old has quickly seen him become a notorious member of the flyweight Muay Thai division.

He’s scored five knockouts in six appearances in ONE. But it takes more than one-punch power to assert yourself in the history books. That’s where the veteran tutelage of ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion Superbon enters the frame.

The Thai megastar welcomed Ghazali to the Superbon Training Camp in Bangkok, Thailand, to help the young prodigy reach the next level.

In an age where everything is demanded instantly, fighting does not translate. The journey from a surging star to a World Champion takes time. It weeds out those who say they want it and highlights those hungry enough to stay the course – even when luck isn’t on their side.

After consecutive setbacks for the first time in his ONE Championship tenure, Ghazali is in the midst of those mental tests. To his credit, he has gone the distance with Diego Paez, Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat, and Johan Estupinan.

But while nobody ever wants to taste defeat, Superbon believes this is the right time for Ghazali to learn these stern lessons.

He believes it will only allow the 18-year-old Malaysian-American heartthrob to come back that much better. The Thai great is in the midst of taking Ghazali from a raw, heavy-hitting phenom into a poised world-beater.

The process takes time. And Superbon is confident that, should Ghazali stay on course, then his future has glistening possibilities.

“‘Jojo’ is like 18. He still has a lot of time to be the best, to be the champion,” he said.

“I think he will be the champion for sure, because his mindset is really good.”