Saiful Merican: Roll with the punches, Jojo
Saiful said winning and losing is part and parcel of being a fighter, especially one who is just starting out on his journey in the professional ranks.
Johan, better known by his nickname Jojo, won his first five fights in the ONE Championship series but has lost three out of his last four fights against more experienced opponents.
"I don't think his form has dropped, this is just part of his journey as a fighter. I have experienced this myself," said Saiful when met recently.
"When you compete at the international level you will face all sorts of opponents. Every fight you take is a chance to improve.
"You study your losses and learn from your weaknesses. Go back and work on improving them before your next fight.
"I am confident he will continue to improve and get stronger because he is only turning 19 later this year. His journey is only just beginning, he has a long way to go in his career."
Fair-weather fans have been quick to criticise Johan, who has a massive online following, after his recent losses.
Saiful understands what Johan is going through. Saiful himself is a former world No. 1 Muay Thai fighter who later transitioned to fight in mixed martial arts in ONE Championship.
"When you compete at a high level, you become sort of a celebrity and there will be more scrutiny from both fans and the media," said Saiful.
"Unfortunately, this is something we have to deal with. Fans will praise you and fans will criticise you, that is normal.
"The key is to just focus on yourself and on your career. Keep working hard and don't pay any attention to the naysayers."
Johan is scheduled to next fight Moroccan Zakaria el Jamari at the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok during ONE Fight Night 35 on Sep 5.
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KUALA LUMPUR: Saiful Merican hopes Muay Thai star Johan Ghazali Zulfikar will continue to focus on improving himself and ignore the naysayers as he looks to prepare for his next fight. Saiful said winning and losing is part and parcel of being a fighter, especially one who is just starting out on his journey in the professional ranks. Johan, better known by his nickname Jojo, won his first five fights in the ONE Championship series but has lost three out of his last four fights against more experienced opponents. "I don't think his form has dropped, this is just part of his journey as a fighter. I have experienced this myself," said Saiful when met recently. "When you compete at the international level you will face all sorts of opponents. Every fight you take is a chance to improve. "You study your losses and learn from your weaknesses. Go back and work on improving them before your next fight. "I am confident he will continue to improve and get stronger because he is only turning 19 later this year. His journey is only just beginning, he has a long way to go in his career." Fair-weather fans have been quick to criticise Johan, who has a massive online following, after his recent losses. Saiful understands what Johan is going through. Saiful himself is a former world No. 1 Muay Thai fighter who later transitioned to fight in mixed martial arts in ONE Championship. "When you compete at a high level, you become sort of a celebrity and there will be more scrutiny from both fans and the media," said Saiful. "Unfortunately, this is something we have to deal with. Fans will praise you and fans will criticise you, that is normal. "The key is to just focus on yourself and on your career. Keep working hard and don't pay any attention to the naysayers." Johan is scheduled to next fight Moroccan Zakaria el Jamari at the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok during ONE Fight Night 35 on Sep 5.
