‘A Very Talented Fighter’ – Rodtang Praises Teen Phenom Johan Ghazali Ahead Of ONE 168: Denver
Muay Thai phenom Johan “Jojo” Ghazali’s destructive rise in ONE Championship has already seen him deemed “the next Rodtang Jitmuangnon.”
And for his part, the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion will be watching closely when the 17-year-old returns this Friday at ONE 168: Denver, where he’ll square off with Mexican slugger Josue “Tuzo” Cruz in a flyweight Muay Thai showdown at Ball Arena.
Ghazali ripped through the competition after joining ONE Championship.
The Malaysian-American debuted with a 16-second knockout of Padetsuk Fairtex before scoring three more KOs, including a 36-second finish of WBC Muay Thai International Champion Edgar Tabares.
The youngster then fell to skilled veteran Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat via unanimous decision this past June, suffering his first setback in ONE, and Rodtang is interested to see if important lessons were learned.
“The Iron Man” told onefc.com:
“Yes, I’m very happy to see Johan back to fight. He is a very talented fighter, but in this fight, it depends on whether he will be tentative again.
“Judging from the last fight, Johan was too scared of his opponent’s weapons. He kept protecting his face and body. So he kept his head down the whole match.”
The loss to Nguyen showed that Ghazali still had a ways to go in order to reach the upper echelon of the flyweight Muay Thai realm.
Fortunately, time is on his side, and Rodtang believes that if “Jojo” remains motivated, he can develop into one of the world’s best strikers.
The divisional king said:
“He has proven himself. He failed for the first time because he is young. But I believe he still has a room for development.
“It depends on his coach whether he can adjust his attitude. He struggles against technical fighters. If I was [coaching him], I would fix it immediately.”
Rodtang Hopes Ghazali Will Knock Out Cruz At ONE 168
Rodtang Jitmuangnon has seen enough to recognize Johan Ghazali’s elite knockout power, and he believes the teenager’s prowess will be showcased once again at ONE 168: Denver.
It won’t be an easy task against Josue Cruz, but Rodtang thinks the teen striker can respond emphatically following his first defeat in the organization:
“This fight is dangerous, but I believe Johan can get through it.”
The comparisons between Ghazali and Rodtang are largely due to the aggressive tactics and finishing abilities of each striker.
And given that Cruz has been stopped in both of his ONE Championship outings, “The Iron Man” is hoping for more of the same this Friday:
“I wish for Johan to win by knockout.”
