Training alongside ONE World Champions has transformed Johan Ghazali's approach to competition as he prepares to face Zakaria El Jamari in flyweight Muay Thai action at ONE Fight Night 35 on 6 September.
The 18-year-old Malaysian-American fighter has found new purpose at Superbon Training Camp in Thailand, where he works daily with ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion Superbon and former ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Nong-O Hama.
This elite training environment has provided Ghazali with the technical refinement needed to address the issues that derailed his early momentum in ONE Championship.
"At Superbon's place, I have plenty of people around to guide me. Like say, for example, if my punching is not working, or I need to know how to kick, they're there to help with the basics," Ghazali explained about his new training setup.
The young fighter's journey has been marked by dramatic highs and lows.
His explosive 16-second knockout debut launched him to stardom, followed by five consecutive victories that established him as one of the sport's brightest prospects.
However, the realities of elite competition soon set in. Losses to Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat, Johan Estupinan, and Diego Paez left Ghazali with only one victory in his last four matches, forcing him to confront difficult truths about his development.
The first major setback proved particularly challenging as he attempted to reinvent himself completely.
"There are a few lessons that I have learned this year. The first loss [to Estupinan] was very hard for me because I switched camps, I moved out of my comfort zone, and changed so many things," he admitted.
Experience has taught him that success breeds analysis from opponents seeking to exploit weaknesses.
"But from both fights, I think I learned that I needed to switch my style because before, nobody knew who I was – nobody knew the power or the combos I have. However, after several fights, people start studying you, people start realizing, 'Oh, he does this or he does that,'" Ghazali observed.
ONE Fight Night 35 will be broadcast live on JioHotstar and Star Sports Select 2 at 6:30 a.m. IST on Saturday, 6 September.
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