Ten-second KO, US$50,000 bonus and ice cream later: ‘Jojo’ Ghazali visualises ideal fight night with Colombian fighter ‘Panda Kick’

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 21 — Combat athlete Johan “Jojo” Ghazali held no punches back in predicting an emphatic win against his next opponent Johan “Panda Kick” Estupinan ahead of their ONE 170 clash on January 24, 2025, at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.

The Malaysian-American rising star displayed no fear of his opponent, claiming his Colombian rival has not fought anyone significant in his four fights and had sustained severe damage in all his bouts.

“Honestly, no, he’s been cracked in almost every fight since he joined ONE. I feel like he has never met someone with my power, and as soon as he gets hit with my power, he will go down,” Johan declared in a recent online interview with the media.

The 18-year-old is currently training in Thailand with renowned Muay Thai trainer Ajarn Gae, better known by his Instagram handle @trainergae.

Sharing the camp with him is Superbon, the former ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion, who will face Tawanchai Saenchai for the Featherweight Muay Thai World Championship.

The stacked card also features Thai superstar Superlek Kiatmoo taking on Scotland’s Nico Carrillo for the Bantamweight title.

Johan expressed his pride in competing on such a prestigious card and when asked in a perfect world how he wanted the fight with Estupinan to finish, he quipped: “In a perfect world? Damn, 10 seconds, US$50,000 bonus, and I go home to have some ice cream.”

Johan’s passion for fighting stems from his parents, Zulfikar Mohd Ghazali and Jennana Lynn Johnson, both Muay Thai enthusiasts. Johnson, in particular, trained Johan extensively, and their training videos frequently appear on social media.

“I credit both of them for getting me into the sport, but it was the adrenaline rush after my first fight that made me fall in love with it,” Johan said, referring to his parent.

“Honestly, that first fight I wasn’t 100 per cent all in for it. After that fight, feeling the pre-fight excitement and the subsequent praise and applause for my performance, that’s what got me hooked.”

Johan’s debut was nothing short of spectacular, as he knocked out his first opponent, Padetsuk Fairtex from Thailand, in just 16 seconds on February 24, 2023.

As a young Malaysian fighter, Johan acknowledges the weight of expectations but embraces the pressure as a motivator.

Looking ahead, Johan has set ambitious goals.

“I think at the moment I need more fights under my belt, and I hope to get a title shot maybe in 2026 or 2027. The ideal would be to win the ONE Championship belt and maybe transition to mixed martial arts.

“Although I feel Muay Thai will be bigger than MMA one day, if the opportunity comes, why not?” he said.

He also said he dreams of facing the best in the sport.

“I want to fight all the top fighters. A dream fight would be against Rodtang, of course,” he said, referring to Thai kickboxer Tinnakorn Srisawat, known professionally as Rodtang Jitmuangno.