Johan Ghazali (left) ends his ONE Fight Night 17 Muay Thai bout against Edgar Tabares after just 36 seconds with a vicious blow. - Photo: ONE Championship
BANGKOK (Bernama): Malaysian muay thai boxer Johan Ghazali dominated his opponent in his prime time debut at ONE Fight Night 17 at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok.
In his 141-pound catchweight muay thai clash on Saturday, 17-year-old Johan - an Malaysian-American, better known as ‘Jojo’, knocked out Mexican Edgar Tabares in 36 seconds.
Representing Rentap Muay Thai Gym, the teenage sensation slammed a vicious left hook to the former ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Title contender’s abdomen, sending him crumpling to the canvas and ending the match in a stunning upset.
With the victory, Johan improved his ONE Championship career record to 5-0, with four of those wins via knock out.
"My name is Johan; in Malay, it means champion. I will be forever on a mission to prove and live by my name.
"Mark my words, I will be the youngest ONE Championship muay thai champion,” he said in an interview after the fight on Saturday.
Despite his stunning performance, Johan failed to earn a hefty financial bonus after he failed to make his weight.
"Everything happens for a reason. It is a bump in my journey, but I will go and refine whatever I need. In my next fight, I will put on a show,” he said.
In October, Johan scored a US$100,000 ONE Championship contract after claiming four consecutive victories. - Bernama
