Diego Paez excited to see what future holds in ONE, following victory over Johan Ghazali at ONE Fight Night 32
Flyweight Muay Thai star Diego Paez had his breakout moment in ONE Championship this past weekend when he outworked teenage phenom Johan Ghazali, and he’s excited to see what the ramifications of the win will be.
The California native defeated “Jojo” by split decision on Saturday, 7th June, inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium, to earn the first win of his promotional tenure.
Ghazali has been a highly touted name since arriving in ONE in 2023. Given the fanfare surrounding him, Paez believes the Malaysian-American striker was looking past him long before the bell rang, and that afforded him the chance to shock.
“Yeah, I did think that for sure [he looked past me]. I know he fights with a lot of ego, and I saw right through that,” Paez told Nic Atkin of Bangkok Post.
“I can read people kind of like an empath, and I saw that he looked right past me, and he was already focused on what was to come after. That’s why I told you guys in the pre-interview, I’m focused on the present moment, and now we can see what the future holds in store for me.”
With a clash of this magnitude against one of the fastest-rising stars in Muay Thai, Paez knew it was a must-win scenario.
In his promotional debut this past February at ONE Fight Night 28, the mulleted mauler lost a split-decision to old foe Sean Climaco. So he knew a big response was needed in his return if he wanted to be taken seriously in the world’s largest martial arts organisation.
Handing Ghazali his second loss in a row in ONE isn’t something Paez wants to celebrate outright. That said, the 31-year-old star is realistic about what a win means to their respective careers, given the 13-year age gap he held over his young foe.
“I’d be lying if I said there were no nerves when I made my debut. Dealing with the media and all that stuff, it took my attention. But this time, it felt like first nature. Walking out to that ring, it felt like home,” he admitted.
“I knew in this fight; I’m sorry, I don’t have room to lose. He has room to lose. So I had to go out there and win.
“But all the best to him. He’s got a good team behind him and a bright future.”
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