Jojo Ghazali awarded Ahli Bintang Sarawak in state honours list
Muay Thai fighter Muhammad Johan Ghazali Zulfikar, known as Jojo Ghazali, received the Ahli Bintang Sarawak (ABS) state award on Thursday in a ceremony officiated by Sarawak Governor Tun Pehin Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku…
Source: Astro Awani · August 14, 2026 at 4:08 AM · AI-assisted report
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KUALA LUMPUR, 14 AUGUST 2026 —
Muay Thai fighter Muhammad Johan Ghazali Zulfikar, known as Jojo Ghazali, received the Ahli Bintang Sarawak (ABS) state award on Thursday in a ceremony officiated by Sarawak Governor Tun Pehin Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.
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The 19-year-old was among 154 recipients honoured at the Istiadat Pengurniaan Darjah-Darjah Kebesaran Negeri Sarawak in Astana Negeri Sarawak. The award recognises his achievements and contributions to promoting Sarawak through Muay Thai, a sport in which both his parents also competed.
In a social media post, Ghazali shared the Sarawak motto “Agi idup, agi ngelaban”, meaning “As long as I live, I will fight”, and called the recognition “a blessing”.
“To the land that is always in my heart, thank you for this honour,” he wrote. “I will continue to strive to bring pride to this place.”
The fighter trains at Rentap Muaythai Gym in Sarawak and began competing at the age of 10. His breakthrough came in 2022 when he won the IFMA World Junior Muay Thai Championship by defeating Russia’s Rustam Yunusob.
Ghazali later drew global attention through ONE Championship, where multiple victories secured him a US$100,000 contract — about RM408,640 at current exchange rates.
From training in a Sarawak gym as a teenager, he has become one of Malaysia’s most visible young athletes on the global combat sports stage.