https://www.scmp.com/rss/522675/feed The latest news and top stories on Johan Ghazali. Known as 'JoJo', this Malaysian-American Muay Thai sensation has rapidly ascended in ONE Championship. Born into a fighting family, he began training at age ten, overcoming early career setbacks in Thailand to secure a lucrative contract with ONE. Ghazali is recognised for his relentless, high-pressure fighting style, often compared to Rodtang, and his powerful knockout ability. Now 18, he is a rising star managing increasing fame, building a... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Andrew Whitelaw Andrew Whitelaw Stella “Always Hungry” Hemetsberger pulled off a remarkable victory at Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium, defeating American-Filipino star Jackie Buntan to capture the vacant ONE Women’s Strawweight Muay Thai world title at ONE Fight Night 35 on Saturday. The Austrian dynamo entered the Bangkok main event as an underdog against the division’s reigning kickboxing queen. But when the five-round battle was done, the scorecards told the story of an upset with lasting significance: Hemetsberger became the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/article/3324608/one-championship-buntan-stunned-strawweight-muay-thai-title-bout?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/article/3324608/one-championship-buntan-stunned-strawweight-muay-thai-title-bout?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Sep 2025 10:47:20 +0000 Andrew Whitelaw Andrew Whitelaw Nicknamed “The Scorpion”, Ramadan Ondash is a teenage knockout artist from Lebanon who has already earned a six-figure deal with ONE Championship. Ondash, who competes in the strawweight Muay Thai division, earned his contract after racking up four straight wins on the ONE Friday Fights series in Bangkok, two of them coming by stoppage. His left hand in particular has gained a reputation for ending fights in emphatic fashion. He fought for the first time aged six in Thailand and still remembers... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/article/3322489/fight-airport-no-problem-one-championship-teen-stars-bold-claim?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/article/3322489/fight-airport-no-problem-one-championship-teen-stars-bold-claim?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Aug 2025 07:28:18 +0000 Andrew Whitelaw Andrew Whitelaw When you’ve spent years covering fighters, you start to recognise the ones who have it. That undefinable X-factor. The kind of charisma and presence that doesn’t just fill an arena – it lingers in the memory. Takeru Segawa is one of those rare fighters. Across hundreds of interviews over the years, I’ve noticed a common thread, particularly with many Western fighters: they got into combat sports because of films: Kickboxer, Bloodsport, Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat. These films truly helped... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3320067/one-championship-takeru-must-earn-chance-revenge-against-rodtang?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3320067/one-championship-takeru-must-earn-chance-revenge-against-rodtang?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Jul 2025 02:44:03 +0000 Andrew Whitelaw Andrew Whitelaw Muay Thai sensation Johan Ghazali said he was ready to silence the doubters when he returns to action at ONE Fight Night 35 at Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium in September. The 18-year-old will face Morocco’s Zakaria El Jamari in a flyweight Muay Thai contest and aimed to deliver a statement performance after a tough decision loss to Colombian-American Diego Paez in June. “My layovers are a little too long for my liking, but I’m just happy to be back in there,” Ghazali told the Post. That last outing... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/muay-thai/article/3319496/malaysian-muay-thai-star-johan-ghazali-brushes-haters-ahead-one-fight-night-35?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/muay-thai/article/3319496/malaysian-muay-thai-star-johan-ghazali-brushes-haters-ahead-one-fight-night-35?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Jul 2025 14:04:08 +0000