Johan Estupinan Vows To Pursue Taiki Naito ‘Like A Tiger Hunting Its Prey’ At ONE Fight Night 32
Colombian buzzsaw Johan “Panda Kick” Estupinan will soon bring his all-action style of striking back to Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium when he squares off with Japanese veteran Taiki “Silent Sniper” Naito in a flyweight Muay Thai showdown at ONE Fight Night 32 on Prime Video.
Set to air live in U.S. primetime on Friday, June 6, that bout will be Estupinan’s chance to extend his unblemished 27-0 professional record and defeat one of the organization’s longest-tenured and most respected stars.
The 22-year-old Estupinan has been nothing short of sensational since making his promotional debut in May 2024, racking up five straight wins with a trio of highlight-reel stoppages, all against top-flight competition.
He’ll now face the crafty Naito, who currently holds the #3 spot in the flyweight kickboxing rankings.
While he’s aware of the massive opportunity, Estupinan told onefc.com that he doesn’t typically study his opponents extensively, but rather prefers to let his team handle the strategic preparations while he focuses on what he does best:
“I never review my opponents. My brother and my trainer review them. They have told me that he’s a good kicker. I’m ready. I’m also an excellent kicker, and I’m also a kickboxing-style fighter. So let’s hope there’s a good war and that he doesn’t end up knocked out too quickly.”
Having built his reputation on explosive, forward-moving aggression and ruthless finishing abilities, “Panda Kick” promises to put on another electrifying performance at ONE Fight Night 32.
While he expects a more patient, tactically-minded approach from the speedy Naito, the Colombian is ready to track down his foe regardless of the opposing game plan:
“[Naito] kicks fast, but he’s not a puncher like me who always looks for the knockout. Rather, he always looks for points. Let’s hope that he doesn’t run from me because I’ll have to chase him like a lion, like a tiger hunting its prey. I hope we go head-on, that we give the great show that everyone wants to see.”
For this fight, Estupinan envisions a lightning-quick knockout reminiscent of his spectacular 27-second ONE debut. True to his aggressive nature, he won’t be taking any time to ease into the battle.
But even if the bout doesn’t end early, he said fans can expect nothing less than fireworks:
“I have this mentality that I think he will fall in the first round. I’ll start the fight explosively, and let’s hope that he is also an explosive fighter so that we make an excellent show.
“All people know that I love to put on a show. I like to attack from the first round. I don’t like to study him in the first round. No, the first round, I’m going to knock him out. In the second round, if he’s still alive, I’ll keep trying. If he lasts to the third, he will fall. That’s it.”
A Winning-Only Mindset
Johan Estupinan doesn’t feel the pressure of his unbeaten professional record weighing down on him.
Quite the opposite, he said that expectations from fans and experts don’t impact his unshakeable mindset or his endless dedication to training.
He explained:
“I don’t feel pressure. I don’t feel it because I’m doing the best I can, and the best I can is to give 100 percent in training.”
For the surging flyweight Muay Thai contender, thoughts of defeat simply don’t enter his mind.
With 27 professional fights and 27 impressive victories on his resume, it’s no surprise that he’s oozing confidence ahead of his critical clash with Taiki Naito.
Estupinan said that he and his team have cultivated a winning frame of mind – one that refuses to entertain the possibility of losing:
“I don’t feel that pressure of ‘No, you’re never, never going to lose.’ I don’t have that mentality, not even a little bit.
“Not even a drop of that comes to my mind about losing. None of that. That’s a topic I never talk about. My teammates, my trainer, my brother never talk about if we lose.”
