Johan Ghazali: A Muay Thai Star for Today, Tomorrow

Check out the speed from 17-year-old Malaysian-American striker Johan Ghazali, who takes on Edgar Tabares Friday at #ONEFightNight17!

ONE Fight Night 17 | Dec. 8 at 8 p.m. ET
🇺🇸🇨🇦 Watch on @primevideo pic.twitter.com/eGhK5Qm6Do

— Sherdog (@sherdogdotcom) December 6, 2023

Muay thai prodigy Johan Ghazali, at just 17 years of age, should draw plenty of consideration as One Championship’s prospect of the year. In just 10 months, the promotion’s youngest signee has rattled off four impressive victories and a trio of nasty knockouts.

A title shot may not be too far down the line, but Ghazali (4-0) will look to close out the year with a bang when he meets former flyweight contender Edgar Tabares in a ONE on Prime Video 17 showcase this Friday at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. The showdown between rising star and savvy veteran serves as one of several intriguing matchups on the all-muay thai card. A former WBC international muay thai champion, Tabares has fought some of the best in his business. His ONE debut resulted in an unsuccessful crack at Rodtang Jitmuangson’s title, but Tabares seems hungry to make another run at the crown.

Tabares, 29, has a 12-year age gap on Ghazali, and he remains confident the experience will serve him well. Despite Ghazali’s Sportscenter-worthy power, Tabares’ guile could help him derail the hype train. The confident teenager hopes to prove the old-timer wrong.

“I’ve always fought older opponents, and they’ve underestimated me,” Ghazali told Sherdog.com. “It’s just my work ethic. I’ve got hard work and support, and my whole family are fighters.”

Most 17-year-olds have no idea about their purpose in life. The opposite holds true for Ghazali. His parents are former muay thai fighters who fell in love when Ghazali’s father was training in the United States. Matching his teeps with her elbows, they were destined to raise another generation of fighters. Not surprisingly, Ghazali’s life became intertwined with muay thai. He spent untold hours in the gym and at the stadium observing fighters while growing up in Malaysia. Ghazali was 10 when started taking the sport seriously but always believed he was born for it.

“Muay thai has always been a part of my life, you know?” Ghazali said. “Even when they’re not training seriously, [my parents] taught me moves all the time, and we would go to the stadiums to watch fights.”

His success in the ring has surprised neither him nor his parents. When Ghazali signed his contract in October 2022, the family barely celebrated because it was viewed as an expected opportunity—as were the back-to-back knockouts to start his career. ONE’s “gamble” on signing the 17-year-old has paid off thus far. With stars like Rodtang, Superbon and Tawanchai ruling the current muay thai scene, Ghazali hopes to emerge as the next man up for a younger generation of fans. With that said, he does not want to wait long.

“I grew up watching these fighters, studying them and using a lot of their techniques,” he said. “I’ve met Rodtang, Superbon and a lot of legendary fighters, and it’s cool that they recognize and they’ve seen my fights. I feel honored, but it’s still a possibility that one day these people might be my opponent.”