KUALA LUMPUR: Muay Thai prodigy Johan Ghazali Zulfikar is determined to become the youngest ONE Championship champion after winning his fifth fight in a row on Friday.
Johan, who only turned 17 last month, took only 36 seconds to knockout Mexican Edgar Tabares with a vicious liver shot in their catchweight bout at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok.
Tabares had won the WBC Muay Thai International title last year but has now lost three fights in a row in the ONE Championship series.
The Friday's fight marked Johan's United States Primetime television debut and it was clear that he was hungry for more.
"I feel great, it has been a hectic fight week. Alhamdulillah...thank God for everything," said Johan during the post-fight interview.
"It is amazing, I am on the big stage now. this is just the beginning.
"There are going to be bigger fights to come, but I am going to take my time and go step by step.
"My name Johan means champion in Malay and I will forever be on a mission to prove (I am a champion) and live by my name.
"And mark my words, I will become the youngest ONE Championship Muay Thai champion ever. InsyaAllah (with God's will).
"I heard that ONE Championship will have a few events in the US so that's the target for 2024."
Though incredibly talented, Johan, better known by his nickname Jojo, said he still has much room for improvement.
The Sarawak-based fighter missed the weight cut prior to the Tabares bout and subsequently missed out on a lucrative knockout bonus.
He won 350,000 baht for knockouts in his previous fights.
"It sucks but I think everything happens for a reason. But again, Alhamdulillah, it is just a bump in my journey," added Johan.
"I will go back and improve what I can, I will put on a show (in next fight)."
Johan, who has fought five times this year, said the Tabares bout was his last for the year.
Born in Putrajaya, Johan is of mixed parentage. His father is Malaysian and mother, American. Both his parents are Muay Thai fighters.
Realising his immense potential, ONE Championship gave him a US$100,000 contract in October.