In an exclusive interview with Low Kick MMA, Diego Paez sat down with Cristian Alvarez. He talked about his Muay Thai journey, his debut in ONE Championship, and his mindset as he faces Malaysian-American Muay Thai star Johan Ghazali. The California native spoke about how he felt during his training, leading to his Lumpinee showdown.
“I feel great, man. I mean, right now is the heart of it. So, my body is sore, but that’s always a good feeling. Um, but everything’s going smoothly over here. Everything’s aligning well. Training camp was very tough. Um, I’ve taken this fight very seriously as I have great respect for the opponent. I know he’s—we’re both coming off losses, so neither of us likes losing, and I don’t plan on losing, so I’ve been training really hard.”
When asked how he balances being a father, a leader in his gym as a coach, and lastly as a fighter representing his gym and his community, the Colombian-American striker, Diego Paez, said the following:
“Um, you know, that’s definitely the toughest job, balancing it all out, but I just try to stay present in the time being of whatever it is I’m doing. And, um, I love it. You know, I love the pressure. I love feeling like I get to represent not only my team, but all of my students and, most importantly, my son. My son is at an age where he’s asking all these questions. He’s so interested. He always wants to come with me, and um, I’m not at that point yet, but um, I’m very excited. I’m very excited to put on a show and to get the win that I deserve.”
Being not just an active fighter but an active coach makes the life of the West coast Muay Thai fighter a bit hectic, however, on the ONE stage Diego Paez is still relatively unknow bar for his battle against fellow Californian Sean Climaco, so when asked on being the unknown underdog in a fight against a big name fighter like Ghazali, Diego Paez answered with the this:
“Yeah, it’s all just noise to me, man. It’s no different from any other fight. I do have respect as he is a young, up-and-coming fighter. And he has a few finishes and one. I’ve seen that. I’ve also seen his losses and seen his weaknesses. So, I’m very good about studying. You know, I got a good team behind me that helps me as well. Very confident in the matchup, and I think it’s a really good name for me to beat. All respect to the kid. He puts on a good show every time, and I know anytime that someone brings out the best in me, anytime someone forces me to fight a little bit differently, it’s a good thing because something good always comes from it. And I like the push. I like the pressure, and you know, I like fighting big names, so he’s a young star in the making, and I’m excited to get this win over him.”
Diego Paez is a stoic man and is unfazed by the glitz and glamour that comes with being a fighters as all he focuses on is his mission to win fights and one day become a champion in ONE. This mindset grants analytical skill on his opponents. When asked what he thought would lead him to victory against Ghazali and what weaknesses the young Malay American may have, Diego Paez said he sees a weakness in Johan:
“A little bit of everything. You know, I think the footwork is going to be a huge factor based off his losses. Uh, I think movement is a good thing, but at the same time, I think he breaks a lot of people’s will. A lot of people don’t like to sit in the pocket with him. And when I’m forced to sit in the pocket, like I said, big things come from it. My will is stronger than ever. I’m not one to break under pressure. So I’m very excited to show a little bit of all the skills that I have, not just footwork, aggression. I think I was a little too safe in my last fight. I was thinking that I was ahead while I was in the fight, and that mindset got me a loss. So, I learned from that, and I’m hungry, and I’m ready to perform again.”
Diego Paez is indifferent to the theatrics and wants to show that he is a fighter first.
ONE Championship loves to promote stars, so much so that they have been accused of favoritism. To Diego Paez, however, that means nothing to him as he sees Johan Ghazali as a mere opponent and Lumpinee stadium as a mere venue for him to show his skill and earn his pay. This is a very stoic mindset and likely perfect for a fighter looking to perform at the highest level. So, Diego Paez’s mental and physical skills will be tested against the young knockout artist Johan Ghazali at ONE Fight Night 32.
