Hard times create strong men – the rising Muay Thai superstar Johan Estupinan is living proof of that.
On 7 June, the undefeated Colombian striker returns to the ring for the second time this year as he clashes with Taiki Naito in a pivotal flyweight Muay Thai bout at ONE Fight Night 32.
The 22-year-old has faced adversity since his childhood days. “Panda Kick” not only endured poverty but also suffered abuse at the hands of his father. Eventually, he and his four brothers were sent to an orphanage.
These hardships have made him mentally strong, which he now channels into his fighting career.
“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,” Estupinan said.
The rising Colombian has overcome every obstacle in his professional career, remaining unbeaten in all his 27 bouts. Among them are his five memorable promotional victories over some established opponents.
The JCFernandez and Team CSK star said that he and his team never discuss losing.
“Not even a drop of that comes to my mind about losing,” Estupinan said. “None of that. That’s a topic I never talk about. My teammates, my trainer, my brother never talk about if we lose.”
As he said, losing is not and has never been an option. He’s determined to claim his sixth promotional victory over Japanese veteran Naito, who makes his comeback in Muay Thai after three kickboxing fights.
“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,” Estupinan said.
Catch ONE Fight Night 32 live in India on JioHotstar and Star Sports Select 2 at 6:30 a.m. IST on Saturday, 7 June.
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