“I want to enjoy this fight” - Taiki Naito willing to engage in a brawl against notorious headhunter Johan Estupinan

Japanese veteran Taiki Naito’s last outing didn’t exactly go according to plan. He dropped a third-round knockout loss to Elias Mahmoudi at ONE Fight Night 24, and before that, a unanimous decision loss at ONE Fight Night 21.

After two tough fights, Naito knew something had to change, so he took a step back and recalibrated. He added focused boxing drills, changed up his training approach, and set out to sharpen his striking style.

Now, heading into ONE Fight Night 32, he believes that Johan Estupinan, who he believes is powerful and yet still unpolished, is the perfect opponent to test those adjustments.

Speaking at the ONE Fight Night 32 media day, he said:

"Estupinan is a very dangerous fighter. He is unbeaten, and it’s going to be a good fight for sure. I want to win this fight, and I want to enjoy this fight, too."

And what he wants is a full-on, no-holds-barred brawling match against the Colombian star.

Watch the full interview below:

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“I expect him to come swinging” - Taiki Naito knows he’ll be in for a war against aggressive berserker Johan Estupinan

Estupinan doesn’t just win, he overwhelms. His aggressive style has flattened opponents round after round, and he rarely lets a fight go the distance. That makes him dangerous, but also predictable in some ways.

And that's exactly the version of "Panda Kick" that Naito wants to meet in the Circle.

“I don’t think [Estupinan is] a particularly technical fighter, but I expect him to come swinging with momentum," he said. "That’s why he’s a really good opponent to test myself against now.”

Takiti Naito and Johan Estupinan will meet in the circle tomorrow at U.S. prime time. Fight fans in Canada and North America can catch it live on Prime Video with an active subscription.