When it comes to Denver’s altitude, it is always better to be safe than sorry. At least, that’s what teenage knockout phenom Johan Ghazali thinks.
The 17-year-old fighter takes to the Circle in a flyweight Muay Thai scrap alongside Mexican brawler Josue Cruz at ONE 168: Denver. They collide at Ball Arena in Colorado – approximately 5,280 feet above sea level – which could spell danger even for the best warriors.
With lower atmospheric pressure and thin air resulting in lower oxygen levels, Johan Ghazali headed to the site early to grasp the unforgiving conditions. Superlek Kiatmoo9, who faces Jonathan Haggerty in the main event for the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world title, however, hasn’t done the same.
Weighing in on the topic, the Rentap Muay Thai Gym star said:
“I don’t know [whether Superlek arriving late will affect his performance], for some people, they aren’t affected. But in my opinion, Denver’s elevation affects everyone.”
He added:
“Some people say it doesn’t affect them at all, but yeah, I’ve been here before so I knew exactly, a hundred percent, that I had to come here early, no matter what.”
Should Superlek tackle the thin air in Denver with relative ease, the Thai fighter will write his name into the record hooks as a two-sport world champion in the promotion.
As for ‘Jojo,’ the youngster aims to get his career back on track after going down to Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat’s technical mastery at ONE 167 this past June.
Watch the full interview here:
Johan Ghazali confident Superlek has what it takes to bag a win over Jonathan Haggerty
Denver’s elevation concern aside, Johan Ghazali has his money on a Superlek victory in the headline attraction of ONE 168: Denver. Per the Sarawak-based athlete, ‘The Kicking Machine’ is simply a class above the English striker, and it’ll show on fight night at the Mile High City.
In the same interview, he continued:
“The only thing that’s keeping me hesitant [to pick him to defeat Jonathan Haggerty] is he’s coming to [Denver] on the first of September. I’ve been here for a week, and it’s still pretty hard. But I still think he’ll take it. His experience, his skills, everything. As long as he doesn’t gas out, he’ll be alright.”
