Johan Ghazali dismisses Rodtang parallels after ONE Fight Night 17 win: ‘I want to be my own person’

Johan Ghazali is daring to dream big.

At ONE Fight Night 17 last Friday, “Jojo” didn’t disappoint. There, he made quick work of Edgar Tabares, knocking out the former World Title challenger in 36 seconds with a body shot.

While he left an impression in front of a U.S. primetime audience, the Malaysian-American teenage phenom refuses to be caught in the moment.

Ghazali believes this is just the first step toward his ultimate wish. That wish is to face his idol — ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon.

“Of course, sometime down the line. I target to be able to fight anyone in about two to three years,” he said.

However, Ghazali is fully aware that he has a long and challenging road ahead before he gets to share the same stage with Rodtang.

“I’m going to slowly take my time and move up the ranks. I’m not going to jump up too fast. Anyone entertaining that makes noise, of course I want to fight them,” he added.

Only the beginning for 17-year-old Johan Ghazali 🙌 Who should the teen phenom challenge himself against NEXT? 👀

🇺🇸🇨🇦 Watch the full #ONEFightNight17 event replay 👉 https://t.co/duKj2fOUeq pic.twitter.com/gfPBneMNdx

— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) December 10, 2023

As Ghazali continues to make waves in ONE Championship, critics can’t help but draw parallels between him and Rodtang.

The 17-year-old finds it flattering to be compared to Rodtang. However, he understands that establishing his own identity in the sport is crucial for long-term success.

“I get this a lot. At first, it was cool when people called me Rodtang. It’s cool to be mentioned on the same level as one of my idols, but I don’t want to be remembered as the next Rodtang,” Ghazali explained.

“I want to be remembered as the first ‘Jojo,’ the first Johan Ghazali. I’m grateful, I’m honored to be mentioned with him, but I want to be my own person.”

Johan Ghazali targets elite competition in next outing

While Johan Ghazali may be hesitant to commit to a potential matchup against Rodtang Jitmuangon for now, it doesn’t mean he’s not eyeing elite competition in the future.

He is open to facing any contender in ONE Championship’s top-five flyweight Muay Thai rankings. Actually, “Jojo” has two names in mind.

“I want to face someone that’ll make noise. Someone that’ll really show people that I belong here, so maybe someone like Taiki Naito or Dedduanglek TDed99,” he said. “Someone that I can prove myself against.”