“I’m the face of martial arts in Colombia” - Johan Estupinan proud to represent his country on ONE’s global stage
Colombian Muay Thai fighter Johan Estupinan wants to be recognized as the face of martial arts in his country and believes he has done so with all the success he has been having on the global stage of ONE Championship.
'Panda Kick' boldly proclaimed this following another impressive knockout victory at ONE Fight Night 25: Nicolas vs. Eersel II on Oct. 4 at the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. He stopped Morocco's Zakaria El Jamari in the second round of their flyweight Muay Thai clash with a clean left hand.
Following the victory, Johan Estupinan highlighted how the win was further testament to his standing as the standout fighter from his home country of Colombia, saying:
"Of course, I'm the face of martial arts in Colombia, all the things I'm doing here against the top fighters because the fighters I face are the best fighters in the world. So if I'm doing this to them, of course, I'm the face of martial arts in Colombia. I work very hard for this, and I've proven it."
At ONE Fight Night 25, Johan Estupinan encountered early trouble against El Jamari but eventually found his footing and came back, culminating with the impressive KO at the 1:53 mark of the second frame.
The win was the fourth straight for 22-year-old Estupinan since making his promotional debut in May this year.
North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription who want to relive all the action at ONE Fight Night 25: Nicolas vs. Eersel II can do so on demand.
Johan Estupinan wins $50,000 performance bonus at ONE Fight Night 25
Apart from racing to his fourth straight win in ONE Championship at ONE Fight Night 25 on Oct. 4, Johan Estupinan also earned another $50,000 performance bonus from the promotion's Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong.
The incentive came on the heels of his KO of Zakaria El Jamari in the second round of their flyweight Muay Thai scrap at the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
It was one of two performances given the bonus at fight night, along with that of Brazilian John Lineker, who also won by knockout over Russian Alexey Balyko of Russia in the opening round.
The $50,000 performance bonus at ONE Fight Night 25 was the second straight for Estupinan. He also earned the incentive in his previous fight in the United States last month, where he stopped Filipino-American Sean Climaco by KO in the second round.