ACTOR Amir Nafis agrees that Malaysian Muay Thai sensation Johan Ghazali, better known as Jojo, had every right to speak out about influencers tarnishing the reputation of the sport.
Amir, also a Muay Thai fighter who is active in the combat sport, noted that Jojo’s concerns reflected sentiments often voiced by professional fighters abroad.
“This isn’t just happening here.
Even overseas, real fighters get frustrated with influencers who want to jump into boxing for the wrong reasons,” he said.
The 33-year-old, however, acknowledged that influencers played a role in raising public interest of Muay Thai.
“At the same time, we can’t deny that when influencers take part, they help put the sport in the spotlight.
“They also contribute to the growth of the Muay Thai and boxing industries, especially economically.
It’s good if their involvement helps elevate the sport.
“The issue only arises when influencers start believing they’re genuine fighters and try to take everyone down.
That’s when it becomes a problem.
“But if their aim is simply to introduce the sport to a wider audience, then it’s definitely beneficial for professional fighters as well,” Amir explained.
The actor grew up as the son of a silat instructor, though his passion eventually steered him away from the traditional martial art towards Muay Thai.
Earlier, Johan had shared on TikTok that the growing trend of dabbling in Muay Thai merely for attention and popularity was embarrassing and damaging to the sport’s image.
