Johan Ghazali has discovered something unsettling about championship-level competition: raw power alone won’t sustain elite success once opponents decode your blueprint.

The 18-year-old Malaysian-American destroyer returns to Bangkok’s legendary Lumpinee Stadium on Friday, September 5, carrying the hard-earned wisdom that transforms knockout artists into complete fighters. His flyweight Muay Thai collision with Moroccan dynamite Zakaria El Jamari at ONE Fight Night 35 represents the ultimate test of his strategic evolution.

Back-to-back defeats to Johan Estupinan and Diego Paez delivered education rather than simple setbacks. The losses revealed that opponents had begun solving his puzzle, neutralizing the signature knockout power and aggressive style that built his reputation.

“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,” Ghazali reflected. “However, after several fights, people start studying you, people start realizing, ‘Oh, he does this or he does that.'”

That realization forced complete strategic reconstruction at Superbon Training Camp, where champions taught him that greatness requires adaptability. Working alongside ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion Superbon and former ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Nong-O, he transformed raw aggression into refined skill.

The most valuable guidance came from Rodtang Jitmuangnon, whose personal messages before and after his latest defeat provided perspective. “The Iron Man” recognized a fellow aggressive fighter facing similar evolutionary challenges.

“Rodtang messaged me before and after the fight against Paez. He told me, ‘Before I was a crazy fighter just like you, but I realized I had to change because people were starting to read my style,'” Ghazali recalled.

His expanded arsenal now includes strategic volume over simple power, mixing kicks, teeps, knees, and elbows to set up his devastating hands. The humbling journey taught him that setbacks create stronger champions.

“At Superbon’s place, I have plenty of people around to guide me. The goal is to really sharpen up my original style, just in case I fight against another tricky opponent.”

READ MORE: Sidekick Owner Spars with Jonathan Haggerty – Claims “You Can’t Get a Shot In”

• Facebook
• X
• Instagram