Mexican striker Josue “Tuzo” Cruz is ready to take the spotlight in his next ONE Championship bout, and he knows he never could have made it this far in his career without the love and support of his parents.

Cruz is set to battle Malaysian-American phenom Johan “Jojo” Ghazali in a flyweight Muay Thai battle at ONE 168: Denver on U.S. primetime on Friday, September 6 inside Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado.

Early struggles and family support in Josue Cruz’s martial arts journey

Before he goes into battle at ONE’s second show in the United States, “Tuzo” reflected on the beginning of his journey in an interview with the promotion and revealed how his parents made sure he and his sister were well taken care of while his father trained folks in the striking arts.

“During that time, my family didn’t have a great livelihood. My parents got married at a young age, they began working together at the gym, and little by little, they found success with the gym,” Cruz said.

He further added, “They supported both me and my sister so that we had the basic necessities in our lives. They supported us a lot when it came to sports. They always found a way to help us grow in Muay Thai and kickboxing. With time, my dad’s gym grew, and thanks to God, it was a difficult start, but eventually, things got better.”

Training under the guidance of his dad, the Mahmoudi Gym Mexico athlete was able to hone his skills early, and he later competed in multiple kickboxing and Muay Thai fights.

Cruz’s journey to earning parental support for his Muay Thai career

Backing from one parent was unwavering during that time, but the other needed to see his talents before giving their blessing.

“My dad has always supported me. He always told me that I’d be able to become a professional fighter because I had the abilities to dedicate myself to the craft, and that he’d always support me so that I could accomplish my dreams and goals,” Cruz said.

He added, “For my mom, it was a bit difficult because Muay Thai is a contact sport, and my mom always tried to protect her son.Once she saw my preparation and some of my achievements, she began to see the passion I had for Muay Thai. That’s also when she began supporting me more and more every day.”

“Tuzo” will have a tough opponent when he returns to ONE Championship action. Ghazali will be eager to avenge his first loss in the world’s largest martial arts organization at ONE 167 this past June.

However, if everything goes according to plan for Cruz, he’ll pull off a massive upset against his young foe and leave Colorado with the most significant win of his career.