KUALA LUMPUR, August 10 — Kuching-based muay thai fighter Johan ‘Jojo’ Ghazali Zulfikar is looking to bounce back for his next clash under ONE Championship.
The match will mark his comeback after suffering his first defeat against Vietnamese veteran Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat in their flyweight Muay Thai clash at ONE 167.
Johan managed to keep an impressive 5-0 clean slate record consecutively, with four knockouts in ONE before his first defeat to Nhat earlier in June this year.
Speaking to Malay Mail, Johan who will be turning 18 this November said that he was grateful for his first defeat and that he learned a lot from his previous match.
“I think I've learned more in my last match compared to all of my other matches.
“That was my first time fighting in an octagon ring as I've been fighting in a normal square ring for all of my matches previously, so the experience was different.
“I've been working on my footwork, my punches and how to enter the fight in my recent fight camp, even the smallest detail plays a role in these matches,” Johan said.
He said that he will be flying to the US this Aug 14 to start his final training there to get used to fighting in the US climate.
The 17-year-old phenom is set to face Josue Cruz of Mexico at the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado this Sept 6 under the ONE 168: Denver fight card.
“This fight will take place in Denver, Colorado, and the altitude there is quite high.
“I think it's about 2,500 above sea level, so the oxygen and weather are different and I need to focus my training in that climate there,” he said.
The Malaysian-American fighter admitted that although he had faced defeats before in other competitions, the recent loss hit him differently especially after his newfound fame in ONE Championship, which saw him facing online harassment.
“Of course, there's people who would say ‘oh this Jojo only knows how to talk’ or ‘oh this Jojo only knows how to act’ but I pay no mind to all of them.
“I've seen all the comments but I try not to think about it.
“I don't mind them because I've got my supporters and my team are all with me, I've got a solid support system behind me,” he said.
For Johan, his biggest support system has always been his family who helps him not just in training but also on how he brings forth his public persona.
“I admit that there are times I go overboard and they would humble me while there are also times when I was being too humble and they would advise me to show some strength — they help in keeping me balanced,” he said.
Love at First Fight
Johan came from a family of fighters, with both his parents having been Muay Thai fighters and his late grandfathers is Tan Sri Mohd Ghazali Che Mat, Malaysia's eight Chief of Defence Force Gen (Rtd).
His love for Muay Thai began at a young age, looking up to legendary Muay Thai fighters such as Buakaw Banchamek many more.
He was determined to become a Muay Thai fighter after his first fight at age 11.
“I’ve played football, badminton, taekwondo, even softball and other sports before but the feeling that I got when I tried Muay Thai was just different, it's unbeatable.
“The adrenaline, the pressure and nervousness and that satisfaction when you manage to win a match is something else, it feels real.
“Even in martial arts, to compare between silat or taekwondo, there are just too many rules whereas in Muay Thai it's straight up ‘do or die’,” he said.
He added that although all of his training before was done in his hometown Kuching, Sarawak, Johan and his team would often go to Thailand to compete in Muay Thai competitions there.
This was his team’s strategy in order to gain new experiences and skills apart from the fact there was a relatively small Muay Thai scene in Malaysia.
In his final preparation before facing Cruz this September, Johan said that preparations are going smoothly on his side and he’s confident to step back into the ring.
“My biggest motivation right now is of course to bring Malaysia's name onto the world stage.
“And of course my supporters, all the Malaysian supporters who want to see me win, not those haters on Facebook or Instagram, I don't care about them.
"Whenever I’m injured or feel like giving up, I think of those who have been supporting me since day one and who have put their faith in me,” Johan said.
