KUCHING: Johan ‘Jojo’ Ghazali may want another crack at Ramadan Ondash, but as the Sarawak-based fighter puts it, “it takes two to tango” for the rematch to happen.
Jojo said he remains keen on another fight with the Lebanese teenager but acknowledged that he cannot force his opponent to accept the rematch.
“If it was up to me, I want a rematch, but it takes two to tango. So if he doesn’t want it, then anyone else can have it,” said Jojo during the Ringside Grand Launch press conference at Galacity here on Saturday (Aug. 8).
Ondash edged Jojo by split decision in their flyweight Muay Thai contest at The Inner Circle 24 at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok last Friday.
“Absolutely. Ever since I got out of the ring, I wanted a rematch. If I could keep fighting, I would keep fighting,” he said.
Jojo said he believed he had won the bout but accepted that the judges’ decision could not be changed.
“Honestly speaking, I thought I won the fight, but I can’t change the judges’ decision. It is what it is,” he said.
However, Jojo said he had heard that Ondash was not keen on an immediate rematch.
“From what I’m hearing and from what I’m seeing, Ramadan doesn’t want the rematch. I guess nobody can force him to fight, but the way he responds to it, it shows his character,” he said.
Jojo pointed to his own willingness to accept the fight when Ondash previously called him out.
“When Ramadan called me out, the next day I signed. I didn’t think much of it. For me, I fight. I’m a warrior. I fight anyone, anywhere, anytime,” he said.
He added that he would have offered Ondash a rematch immediately had their positions been reversed.
“Even if the roles were reversed, if I was Ramadan and I won the way that I won, I would give him a rematch right away. But different people have different styles,” he said.
Jojo’s desire for another meeting comes amid backing from ONE Championship’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Chatri Sityodtong.
According to the Bangkok Post in a report published on August 5, Sityodtong guaranteed Jojo another opportunity to face Ondash despite the Lebanese fighter’s reported reluctance to grant an immediate rematch.
