KUALA LUMPUR: Russian combatant Rustam Yunusov stoked the fires of an escalating rivalry with Johan Ghazali, saying the rising Malaysian sensation belongs on a film set rather than in the ring.
The verbal volley arrived during a recent interview Yunusov gave to ONE Championship, where he dismissed the teenager’s fighting credentials.
“What can I say about Johan? I can’t say anything because I don’t want to fight an actor. I fight fighters. Johan should be acting in Malaysian movies,” Yunusov said.
Johan, better known as Jojo, deflected the jibe with trademark swagger, transforming his opponent’s taunt into self-styled praise.
“Thank you very much for the compliment. It’s not easy to look like me. It’s not easy to be as rich and influential as me. So, I take it as a compliment,” Johan said.
The 19-year-old said he relishes settling the score inside the ring if fans demand the showdown.
“Rustam, you have been calling me out for this fight for a long time. If the fans want to see it, I have no problem. Let’s do it, and I will beat you again like last time.
“After that, I’ll make a movie about it,” he said.
Their feud is rooted in the amateur ranks, where the two shared the canvas three times at the IFMA World Youth Muaythai Championships.
Yunusov drew first blood by taking their initial two encounters, but Johan turned the tide at the 2022 edition to secure a career-defining win.
According to Johan, their first bout unfolded at 38kg, followed by a clash at 57kg, before their rubber match at 60kg went his way.
Johan also enters any potential collision course armed with momentum following his win against Colombian-American slugger Diego Paez in their flyweight Muay Thai rematch at ONE 168 on Oct 16.
“Yunusov is a good fighter. He is a southpaw, so it’s tricky to face him. But he hasn’t fought opponents on the same level as those I’ve faced.
“So, even though he has nine consecutive wins, it doesn’t really phase me when you look at the opponents he has fought,” Johan added.
Johan is now locking his sights on a blockbuster December showdown against Johan Estupinan.