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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The post Diego Paez excited to see what future holds in ONE, following victory over Johan Ghazali at ONE Fight Night 32 first appeared on Sidekick Boxing.

The Thai striker slayed #5-ranked contender Nakrob Fairtex just 52 seconds into their main event battle on Saturday, 7th June, inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium, to assert himself as a viable threat in the stacked division. 

Still only 23 years old, Jaosuayai has been competing in Muay Thai for the last decade and a half. His 82-fight slate includes an impressive 7-2 run in ONE’s Friday Fight series, which earned him a US$100,000 contract to compete in the promotion’s global roster. 

With a win on his debut at ONE Fight Night 32, the Sor Dechapan affiliate believes he is right where he needs to be. 

“For 16 years, I’ve been on this journey, and I’ve been fighting and I’ve been training really hard. I am proud of myself. I’m so thankful that I did not give up,” Jaosuayai explained. 

“Yeah, I feel like this is such a great debut for my [ONE Fight Night], ONE Championship fight. So I’m very proud to be where I am right now.”

While the stoppage victory surprised most onlookers, it didn’t come as too much of a shock to the man who delivered it. 

Nakrob is known for growing into a fight and scoring stoppages in the later rounds. Knowing that, Jaosuayai made a point to put the heat on his compatriot from the opening bell.

He mixed up strikes in unorthodox fashion and caught Nakrob off guard to launch himself into the upper echelon of the flyweight Muay Thai division in style.  

“Because I’ve studied him from his previous fights, and normally when he walks in, his right guard kind of always falls, so it’s a bit low,” he assessed. 

“So I think that would be an opening that I could use. So when he came in like that, and I saw the opening, I led with my punch, and then I just led with the switch left kick, onto his neck with a high kick.”

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The post “I’m so proud of myself” – Jaosuayai reflects on 52-second knockout of Nakrob at ONE Fight Night 32  first appeared on Sidekick Boxing.

“Jojo” meets American star Diego Paez in flyweight Muay Thai action at ONE Fight Night 32: Nakrob vs. Jaosuayai this Saturday, 7th June, inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium, in what is seen as a potential “Fight of the Night” contender.

The 18-year-old moved to Superbon Training Camp in late 2024, with his first performance under the Bangkok-based facility coming against #5-ranked flyweight Muay Thai contender Johan Estupinan at ONE 170 this past January. 

While he lost by unanimous decision to the unbeaten Colombian, Ghazali says he took many positives away from the defeat.

“[Against Estupinan] there were bits and pieces of Superbon, Nong-O, and Petchtanong’s game all in there. And that was me only in a two-month camp. It was short, and I had to rush through the lessons at the gym,” he revealed.

“So while I did feel like I did pretty well in that fight with a bit of changes to my style, I know where my shortcomings were. But, for this fight, you’ll see a much better version of that, just much more advanced in this next fight.”

With five knockouts in six victories in ONE Championship, it’s clear Ghazali packs a punch. 

His killer instinct is what’s quickly seen him become a star in the promotion, and he feels it has become sharper than ever after his first full camp working closely with Superbon.

So when the bell rings, “Jojo” promises to show off the new depths of his game and make Paez very uncomfortable for as long as it lasts. 

“I’m always on the hunt for the knockout. I’ll always be a pressure fighter, but I’ll definitely be more technical in this fight. You’ll definitely see more skills, more feints, more fakes, and more usage of all my weapons,” Ghazali said.

“I’ve been training hard as hell, and it would be a shame for me not to put the pressure on, so I’m gonna make him feel it.”

READ MORE: A Beginner’s Guide to ONE Championship

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The post Johan Ghazali promises a “much more advanced version” of himself at ONE Fight Night 32 first appeared on Sidekick Boxing.

The Israeli striker challenges Allycia Hellen Rodrigues for the gold in the main event of ONE Fight Night 32 on Saturday, 7th June, inside Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Back in 2020, Rodrigues snatched the World Title off Stamp in her ONE debut. The Brazilian has held it ever since, but Cohen is intent on bringing it back to Fairtex Training Center in honour of her friend. 

“I don’t feel pressure,” she said.

“It gives me more motivation because if I can get this for Stamp and for the team, I will feel proud of myself.”

The heated showdown has combat sports fans worldwide talking, with many of them saying Cohen will be the toughest test Rodrigues’ reign has faced thus far.

The 24-year-old was initially set to challenge for the gold this past March at ONE Fight Night 29, but an ankle injury forced her to withdraw from the bout.

That disappointment, on top of other family problems, has left Cohen feeling under pressure. But tough times make tough people, and the recovery process has only strengthened her focus on what she needs to do.

“Life has been very complex since then. In the last seven months, I’ve been injured. I’ve been recovering. I’ve been dealing with some challenges back home in Israel with my family. So many things happened, and I think this was one of the hardest times of my life,” she said. 

“You know, I’m not different than other fighters. I’m not special, but I just work hard, and I give my heart and try my best. I have a big goal inside of me, and I have to achieve this goal. I have to.”

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The post Shir Cohen aims to avenge Stamp Fairtex by dethroning Allycia Hellen Rodrigues first appeared on Sidekick Boxing.

The striking pair will meet in a much-anticipated affair at ONE Fight Night 32: Rodrigues vs. Cohen on Saturday, 7th June, inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium.  

Rambolek is well-known for his all-gas-no-brakes fight approach, and he believes it will too much for “The Silent Assassin” to stand up to when they collide.

“[Kovtun] seems to run out of steam towards the end and doesn’t really have a tight defense. He likes to wait and counter. His strength is his left hook, but I have no problem with his southpaw style,” he analyzed.

“For this fight, I’ll probably focus more on the kicks because Dmitrii doesn’t defend them too well. If I see an opening to knock him out, I’m going for it.”

A graduate of the ONE Friday Fights series, Rambolek’s goal isn’t to make up the numbers in ONE Championship. He has his eyes firmly cemented on facing the best the promotion’s bantamweight Muay Thai division has on offer.

The 22-year-old seized the division’s #5-ranked spot with a second-round demolition of Parham Gheirati in March, and he’s got bantamweight kickboxing king Jonathan Haggerty in mind for who to face in the near future.

Hggerty is a former flyweight and bantamweight Muay Thai titleholder, so Rambolek knows that a victory over the Brit holds plenty of weight. But if that’s not to be, he’s more than happy to square off against a more fearsome foe further up the ladder.

“My ultimate goal isn’t just to keep my name in the rankings; it’s to climb all the way to the World Championship level,” he said.

“The top five guys now? They’re all good. Anyone’s got a shot at the title. But the one I really want to fight? That’s #2, Jonathan Haggerty. 
“I’ll probably try to avoid #1-ranked Superlek, but if it’s what I gotta do, I’ll fight him. After this fight, if I beat Dmitrii, the next name I’m calling out is Haggerty.”

READ MORE: Liam Harrison offers insight on potential ONE Championship UK event, Jonathan Haggerty and Nico Carrillo

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The post Rambolek predicts knockout against Dmitrii Kovtun, targets Jonathan Haggerty next first appeared on Sidekick Boxing.

On Saturday, 7th June, teen striking superstar Johan Ghazali will lock up with Colombian-American striker Diego Paez inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium, with both fighters looking to take a significant step forward in the stacked division.

Ghazali has become one of the most popular strikers in ONE’s flyweight Muay Thai ranks over the last two years.

The 18-year-old graduated from the ONE Friday Fights series after amassing four wins, and three knockouts, in the weekly series, and he has shown his worth on the promotion’s global roster since then.

If Ghazali’s punching power gathered his fanbase, his resilience has helped push him to become a genuinely respected competitor around the world.

After suffering his first setback in ONE against Vietnamese veteran Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat at ONE 167 last June, he showed he had learned from the loss by blitzing through Josue Cruz in his next outing at ONE 168 in September.

In his last appearance this past January, “Jojo” fell to a unanimous decision loss against unbeaten #5-ranked flyweight Muay Thai contender Johan Estupinan. But if his slate is anything to go on, the teen battler is set to come back stronger than ever at ONE Fight Night 32.

However, Paez will be looking to make the most of Ghazali’s misfortune in his second ONE Championship clash.

The 31-year-old debuted with a defeat when he took on Sean Climaco this past February at ONE Fight Night 28, but the narrow split-decision call left many intrigued about what else he has to offer.

Before joining the world’s largest martial arts organization, the Southern California native amassed an impressive 10-0 amateur record, along with five titles, on the American regional scene. 

Despite coming up short last time, Paez showcased his unpredictable punching style and diverse repertoire, so there’s no doubt he’ll make the most of his shot at one of the most popular stars in the flyweight Muay Thai division when he meets Ghazali.

With much to gain and plenty to lose, both scrappers will be eager to make a statement once the bell rings at ONE Fight Night 32, so fans can expect this one to be nonstop for as long as it lasts.

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The post Teen Muay Thai star Johan Ghazali faces Diego Paez at ONE Fight Night 32 first appeared on Sidekick Boxing.