‘Timing Beats Speed’ – Johan Ghazali Aims To Hand Johan Estupinan His First Defeat At ONE 170
This Friday at ONE 170, teenage phenom Johan “Jojo” Ghazali will square off with undefeated Colombian sensation Johan “Panda Kick” Estupinan in a highly anticipated flyweight Muay Thai bout.
That matchup will go down at Bangkok’s Impact Arena and pits two of the sport’s most entertaining and athletically gifted young knockout artists against each other.
Ghazali has won six of his seven contests in ONE, including five by way of highlight-reel knockout. Estupinan, meanwhile, boasts an unblemished 26-0 career record and a 4-0 slate in ONE.
“Jojo” knows that a victory over a highly touted talent like Estupinan would do wonders for his climb toward the flyweight Muay Thai division’s top-five rankings, but he’s carrying some extra motivation into this fight.
That’s because Estupinan holds a win over Ghazali’s brother outside of ONE – and the young Malaysian-American striker is hungry for revenge. He told onefc.com:
“In the fans’ eyes, this is a very 50-50 fight, so I wanna prove that I am better and showcase my skills to the world. Also, I want to get revenge for my brother since Estupinan beat him a couple of years ago.
“A win like this would be very good for my name, and it will put me in route to being top-five ranked in the flyweight division.”
Ghazali is quick to admit that the Colombian, with his high-flying and ultra-aggressive style, poses a dangerous test.
However, the 18-year-old plans to counter Estupinan’s unbridled aggression with his own show-stopping power – the same power that’s earned him four performance bonuses in ONE.
“Jojo” explained:
“Estupinan is fast, has pretty good endurance, and is very unorthodox compared to other fighters. I might not be as fast as him, but I’m sure he doesn’t have the power that I have, and that will play to my advantage because timing beats speed.”
Fans should expect nothing less than a frantic, fast-paced barnburner when the Circle Door closes on Ghazali and Estupinan.
Both athletes are renowned for their explosive striking and savage finishing instincts, each with a propensity for finding the knockout early.
For his part, Ghazali is gunning for another quick stoppage at ONE 170:
“Of course, like every other fight, I will be looking for the knockout. When it will end, I’m not sure, but I will do my absolute best to put him out as fast as I can.”
Ghazali Thrilled With ‘Very Surreal’ Move To Superbon Training Camp
As he continues to rise through the ranks of the talent-laden flyweight Muay Thai division, Johan Ghazali knows he’s only going to face tougher and tougher opponents moving forward.
In preparation for his showdown against Johan Estupinan, he’s been training in Thailand at Superbon Training Camp alongside luminaries such as former long-reigning bantamweight Muay Thai kingpin Nong-O Hama, former kickboxing titleholder Petchtanong Petchfergus, and of course, current ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion Superbon.
For “Jojo,” the move was a no-brainer:
“Obviously, now the level I’m fighting is getting higher, and I need to improve my skills. I knew that the best decision I could make for my career was to move to Thailand and train alongside the best.”
Ghazali is already recognized as one of the most talented and promising young fighters in the sport of Muay Thai.
And now that he’s spending his days training alongside some of Thailand’s absolute best, his game has reached a new level.
“Jojo” opened up about the benefits of learning from legends at Superbon Training Camp:
“It’s very surreal to train alongside these incredible fighters because I grew up watching them, and to say that I’m training alongside them every day now is actually incredible.
“I learn so much from them every single day, and they guide me in my training and setting up my game plan. Their experience is like no other. They’ve been in the game for so long, and it’s definitely very good for me.
“They’re very good to me. They treat me like their little brother. They teach me everything. They correct my flaws and make sure that I am improving.”
