Johan Ghazali Runs It Back With Johan Estupinan At The Inner Circle 42 On December 11
The explosive “Battle of the Johans” is officially set for its second chapter, as two of the flyweight division’s most electrifying young strikers prepare to finish what they started.
Malaysian-American sensation Johan “Jojo” Ghazali and Colombian knockout artist Johan “Panda Kick” Estupinan meet again at The Inner Circle 42 on Friday, December 11, in a sequel to one of the most action-packed flyweight Muay Thai clashes in recent memory. The rematch goes down live in Asia primetime from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, and streams exclusively for members at live.onefc.com.
For Ghazali, this rematch is personal. The 19-year-old comes in determined to avenge one of the toughest defeats of his young career and reclaim the momentum Estupinan took from him.
Ghazali stormed onto the scene with a blistering 6-1 promotional run, earning a coveted US$100,000 contract and capturing the imagination of fans worldwide. Armed with concussive power, natural swagger, and sharp microphone skills, “Jojo” has built a 28-11 career record that includes six highlight-reel promotional stoppages.
His rise stalled, however, when he collided with fellow phenom Estupinan at ONE 170 in January 2025. After Ghazali scored a first-round knockdown that had the fight firmly in his grasp, Estupinan floored him in return in round two, broke away in the final frame, and claimed a unanimous decision.
That defeat opened one of the most testing stretches of his promising career, as Ghazali went 3-3 against the division’s top emerging talent.
Guided by ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion Superbon, he has become sharper with each setback. That growth was on full display at The Inner Circle 35 this past October, as he settled his score with Diego Paez in arguably the most complete performance of his career.
With one rivalry resolved, Ghazali now turns his crosshairs to another.
Standing ready to turn back that revenge bid is Estupinan, who launched his promotional tenure with a stunning five-fight winning run. The 24-year-old brings a helter-skelter, salsa-infused striking rhythm to the ring, blending unorthodox angles, flying attacks, and pure showmanship to disrupt even the sharpest Muay Thai timing.
That run was punctuated by back-to-back US$50,000 performance bonuses before the victory over Ghazali thrust him firmly into the division’s upper echelon.
Yet Estupinan soon encountered turbulence of his own. A competitive decision loss to Japanese tactician Taiki Naito and a second-round TKO defeat to Black Panther sparked questions regarding his defensive discipline and penchant for reckless firefights.
The JCFernandez and Team CSK representative answered those questions emphatically at his kickboxing debut at ONE Fight Night 44 this past June, delivering his most complete performance yet to snap the perfect promotional record of Akif “King” Guluzada by unanimous decision, lifting his overall record to 28-2. That kickboxing redemption had set the table for a rematch with Naito at ONE Fight Night 49, but an injury ruled him out of that card, so December 11 marks his return to Muay Thai.
Estupinan comes in determined to reassert his mastery over Ghazali, prove his striking supremacy, and put the rivalry to bed at 2-0.
Both warriors have been forged by their setbacks, and whoever has his hand raised on December 11 will stake a compelling claim for a berth in the top five of ONE’s loaded flyweight Muay Thai division.
