Malaysia’s rising Muay Thai sensation, Johan Ghazali Zulfikar, is set to return to the ring for a monumental challenge against Japanese star, Shimon Yoshinari, at the inaugural ONE Samurai 1 event later this month.

The highly anticipated matchup was officially confirmed by ONE Championship via their social media platforms yesterday, with the bout scheduled to take place at the prestigious Ariake Arena in Tokyo on April 29.

Shimon Yoshinari enters the contest as a formidable opponent, currently boasting a perfect 4-0 record within ONE Championship, including two victories secured via Technical Knockout (TKO).

In addition to the home-ground advantage, Shimon benefits from elite-level training as a stablemate of the renowned Atomweight World Champion, Nadaka Yoshinari. His technical precision and counter-striking are expected to provide a stern test for the young Malaysian’s durability and tactical execution.

For Johan Ghazali, this fight represents a pivotal opportunity to solidify his standing among the world’s elite Muay Thai practitioners.

Jojo currently holds an impressive professional record of eight wins and three losses (8-3) within the organization.

In his most recent outing, Ghazali displayed immense composure and skill to defeat Myanmar’s Ye Yint Naung via unanimous decision.

That victory has provided the teenage phenom with significant momentum as he prepares to travel to the "Land of the Rising Sun" for what is arguably one of the toughest tests of his career to date. Combat sports fans are eagerly awaiting another explosive performance from Ghazali as he seeks to fly the Malaysian flag high on the international stage.