Johan Ghazali is proving that his youth is an advantage rather than a weakness in ONE Championship.

The teen phenom, who holds a 5-0 record in the promotion, will face the biggest challenge of his tenure so far when he takes on Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat in a flyweight Muay Thai battle at ONE 167: Tawanchai vs. Nattawut II on Friday, July 7, inside the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, and he’s confident he can overcome him.

Johan Ghazali is confident with his young athleticism

However, that will be easier said than done. “No.1” has won medals for Vietnam in various international striking competitions, and he is also a 5-time WMF World Champion with two knockout wins to his name in ONE. 

There is little doubt that Nuy Dhat will give him trouble, but Ghazali remains unfazed because he knows when the ball will be in his court.

“I feel like the advantage I have in this fight is my youth. I’m younger, I recover faster, I’m stronger, so I feel like this is something I can guarantee on my end,” he said. 

“But because he could be tough, I think I’m going to be in for a tough start. But I do know he will get tired in the later rounds, which then make it easier for me to knock him out.”

“Jojo” calls Duy Nhat old

“Jojo’s” confidence is far from unfounded. Whereas Duy Nhat has yet to see the judges’ scorecards in his three outings in ONE Championship, Ghazali has shown he is capable of quick finishes and drawn-out wars. 

He’s also made it clear that tough opponents don’t faze him. In his last outing in December 2023, the Malaysian-American knocked out former World Title challenger Edgar Tabares in 36 seconds.

That said, it would be unprofessional for Ghazali to underestimate Duy Nhat, so he has pointed out that he holds admiration for him. Nonetheless, he’s optimistic that he’ll find an opening at some point to finish the bout early.

“I respect him as a fighter and as an opponent, but I feel like he’s old, you know? And I think he doesn’t even have a solid chin. Hopefully, he’s out when I hit him just once,” he said.