KUCHING, Jan 24 — Malaysian teenage muaythai sensation Muhammad Johan “Jojo” Ghazali is determined to defeat Colombian fighter Johan Estupinan in tonight’s ONE 170 fight at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.
The 18-year-old from Kuching’s Rentap Muaythai Gym is upbeat ahead of the showdown and aims to deliver a knockout (KO) blow to his opponent in a pro bout that will be broadcast live on ONE Championship YouTube channel and Facebook, reaching over 190 countries.
Jojo has made a name for himself with an impressive record, knocking out three of his four opponents in the ONE Friday Fights event series.
With a career tally of 25 wins and 7 losses, he is looking to add another victory to his growing list of accomplishments.
“Estupinan is a good fighter, very unorthodox, very sleek and fast. He has power obviously but one thing that I noticed about him is that he doesn’t really have a chin.
“So if we were to go toe to toe, it’s not going to be me getting knocked out,” he said in a video shared by ONE Championship.
Anticipating an exciting fight ahead, Jojo said: “It’s going to be a crazy fight and I am going to fight Johan Estupinan. We are both young and up-and-coming. He is a hype train like me.
“It will be a crazy fight and no matter who wins, the fans will be happy and I am sure of that.
“Many of you know, he fought against my older brother (Elias) once and my brother lost. It was a close fight.
“I am getting ready to get some revenge for my brother and it will be a good fight, definitely,” he said.
To prepare for the bout, Jojo has been training intensely at the Superbons Training Camp at Superbon Gym in Bangkok for over three months.
Before this, he honed his skills at Rentap Muaythai Gym in Kuching.
Estupinan, 22, nicknamed “Panda Kick”, made history as the first-ever Colombian fighter to join ONE Championship’s elite roster last year.
He holds an unbeaten record of 26 wins and zero losses. His moniker stems from his exceptional kicking ability and voracious vegan appetite.
With his sights set on the ONE Flyweight Muaythai World title, Estupinan is not to be underestimated.
Muaythai fans can catch the fight live on Watch.ONEFC.com at 8.30pm Malaysian time on January 24. — The Borneo Post