Taiki Naito says putting his ego in the backseat has been crucial ahead of return: “I’ve discovered a new version of myself”

Putting his ego aside has allowed Taiki Naito to discover a whole new version of himself.

Now, the third-ranked flyweight kickboxing contender will look to show the world what he's learned when he steps back inside the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok this Friday night, June 6.

There, Naito will go toe-to-toe with undefeated Colombian sensation Johan Estupinan as part of a loaded ONE Fight Night 32 card airing exclusively on Amazon Prime Video in both the United States and Canada.

Speaking with ONE ahead of his 14th appearance with the promotion, the 'Silent Sniper' offered some insight into his latest training camp:

“I’ve been the type who didn’t want to disrupt certain aspects of my style, but by putting aside that kind of pride and embracing new elements, I feel like I’ve discovered a new version of myself".

Naito enters the bout coming off back-to-back losses in the art of eight limbs, suffering unanimous decision defeats against Dedduanglek and Kongthoranee.

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Taiki Naito plans to match Johan Estupinan's intensity in ONE Fight Night 32 clash

Going into ONE Fight Night 32, Taiki Naito recognizes that he's in for a tough test against the always explosive Johan Estupinan.

But instead of trying to avoid the Colombian's frenetic style, he plans on matching it:

"He's a hard hitter, but in a good way. I want to match my opponent and get in there. I don't just want to avoid his attacks; I want to get into the intensity."

Estupinan is a perfect 27-0 in his combat sports career, five of those coming under the ONE banner. Will 'Panda Kick' make it win number 28 at ONE Fight Night 32, or will Naito hand the Colombian his first professional loss?

ONE Fight Night 32 will air live on ONE Championship’s YouTube channel, the ONE Super App, and watch.onefc.com on Friday, June 6.