Malaysian Muay Thai star Johan Ghazali brushes off haters ahead of ONE Fight Night 35
The 18-year-old will face Morocco's Zakaria El Jamari in a flyweight Muay Thai contest and aimed to deliver a statement performance after a tough decision loss to Colombian-American Diego Paez in June.
'My layovers are a little too long for my liking, but I'm just happy to be back in there,' Ghazali told the Post.
That last outing prompted a wave of criticism online, but Ghazali said he was learning to handle the spotlight.
'People will talk s*** about me no matter what I do,' he said. 'Especially now. I'd like to say I'm one of the biggest Muay Thai stars in ONE Championship. I've got eyes on me. So, most of it is just for extra publicity – I just play into the marketing game a bit. It doesn't really affect me.'
Zakaria El Jamari (right) lost to Johan Estupinan at ONE Fight Night 25 last October. Photo: ONE Championship
Still, he admitted the negativity could be difficult to deal with.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
4 days ago
- South China Morning Post
Thai-Cambodia conflict: woman saves cats by braving artillery fire
When the first salvo of Cambodian artillery screamed across her village, Thai seamstress Pornpan Sooksai's thoughts turned to her five beloved cats: Peng, Kung Fu, Cherry, Taro and Batman. 'I suddenly heard a loud bang,' the 46-year-old told said. 'Then our neighbour shouted, 'They've started shooting!' So everyone scrambled to grab their things.' Nearly 140,000 people have been evacuated from the Thai frontier, fleeing with the belongings dearest to them, as the country trades deadly strikes with neighbouring Cambodia for a second day. Pornpan was hanging out laundry in her village in the border district of Phanom Dong Rak, but did not hesitate to corral her quintet of cats – even as the cross-border blasts rang out. 'Luckily, they were still in the house. I put them in crates, loaded everything into the truck, and we got out,' she said at a shelter in nearby Surin City, camping out alongside her fellow evacuees.
South China Morning Post
5 days ago
- South China Morning Post
Malaysian Muay Thai star Johan Ghazali brushes off haters ahead of ONE Fight Night 35
Muay Thai sensation Johan Ghazali said he was ready to silence the doubters when he returns to action at ONE Fight Night 35 at Bangkok's Lumpinee Stadium in September. The 18-year-old will face Morocco's Zakaria El Jamari in a flyweight Muay Thai contest and aimed to deliver a statement performance after a tough decision loss to Colombian-American Diego Paez in June. 'My layovers are a little too long for my liking, but I'm just happy to be back in there,' Ghazali told the Post. That last outing prompted a wave of criticism online, but Ghazali said he was learning to handle the spotlight. 'People will talk s*** about me no matter what I do,' he said. 'Especially now. I'd like to say I'm one of the biggest Muay Thai stars in ONE Championship. I've got eyes on me. So, most of it is just for extra publicity – I just play into the marketing game a bit. It doesn't really affect me.' Zakaria El Jamari (right) lost to Johan Estupinan at ONE Fight Night 25 last October. Photo: ONE Championship Still, he admitted the negativity could be difficult to deal with.
South China Morning Post
14-07-2025
- South China Morning Post
Meet the ONE Championship trainer coaching some of the hottest talent in the game
It has been a golden spell for Mehdi Zatout and his fighters at Venom Training Camp. Advertisement From Bangkok to Tokyo, the gym has produced world champions, viral knockouts, and a growing sense that something special is happening. 'We work different,' Zatout told the Post. 'We train hard, but we also train smart. 'We're a team. We help each other, we push each other, but always with respect.' Zatout, a former world champion, now leads one of Asia's top camps. His stable includes Bampara 'Bambi' Kouyate, Muhamad Siasirani, and Abdulla 'Smash Boy' Dayakaev, who recently delivered a 24-second finish at ONE Fight Night 33 – the fastest knockout in the promotion's Muay Thai history. But it is Nabil Anane, the newly crowned ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world champion, who has become the face of the gym's rise.
