Hello fight fans, and welcome to ONE Championship Daily News—your frontline seat to the world’s best martial arts action.Johan “Panda Kick” Estupinan brings much more than elite Muay Thai skills, flashy highlights, and shocking power to every fight. The undefeated Muay Thai phenom from Colombia has a secret weapon that sets him apart – his passion for dancing.On June 6 in U.S. primetime, Estupinan will bring his unique blend of artistry and aggression to Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok when he takes on veteran Japanese striker Taiki “Silent Sniper” Naito in a pivotal flyweight Muay Thai clash at ONE Fight Night 32: Rodrigues vs. Cohen on Prime Video.For “Panda Kick,” dancing is more than a hobby or something he does when the cameras are rolling. It’s a way of living that reflects his vibrant Colombian culture – and it plays a key role in his approach to combat.The 22-year-old’s journey into dance began alongside his twin brother, Jordan Estupinan, who is also an unbeaten rising star in ONE’s flyweight Muay Thai division.Johan recently spoke about his early days of discovering dance:“When we were young, we trained in breakdancing. We would go to a little park, and I would dance with my twin. Then we started dancing in school. My brother and I, one day at school, we rehearsed a dance and started dancing for all the people.“We also trained in parkour, doing somersaults and all that. We were very restless kids who liked to learn everything. When we saw something, we thought, ‘Oh, I want to do that.’ So it also started from there.”Wildly energetic and athletically gifted, the Estupinan brothers weren’t content with just one type of dance. Their natural curiosity led them to explore a mix of traditional Colombian styles.When “Panda Kick” warms up before his fights or is walking to the ring or Circle, fans often see him dancing with a smile on his face.He said that doing so puts him in the right mindset to compete and brings an added element of his persona:“A good Colombian who respects himself and all that, has to know how to dance. We always try to bring joy, to bring flavor – not just hitting the pads and that’s it. How boring, right?“Any fighter can do that, but if you come with showmanship, with enthusiasm, with flavor, you put more effort into it, and you do it with more love.”Estupinan’s physical literacy in dance, he said, translates perfectly to the striking arts.When he’s competing under ONE’s bright lights, he showcases an unorthodox mixture of high-flying techniques, dynamic footwork, and creative movement patterns that have flummoxed all five of his opponents in the organization.He said those abilities come much easier thanks to his proficiency in dance:“Dancing helps me a lot in foot movements. It also helps you with reflexes in the ring. I move a lot when dancing, and I move a lot when fighting.“So, we blend the movements from salsa into fighting. We use the foot movements from salsa, and we add in the hands. Those movements help a lot in fights.”A life steeped in music plays a central role in Johan Estupinan’s story.He revealed that hardly a moment passes when he’s not listening to music, always making sure that the rhythms he chooses align with his mood:“I have music for everything. For everything. When I’m riding on the motorcycle, I put on my music, Colombian music, reggaeton. I also like reggaeton music. When we are in salsa mode, we also put on salsa, Colombian salsa.”It’s perhaps no surprise that Estupinan loves listening to music in the training room, but he also uses tunes to help him relax and unwind after a long day of work.Ultimately, he said the right soundtrack allows him to maintain the perfect headspace for peak performance:“I like to put on soft, romantic music when I’m resting, trying to sleep, so the body can relax and calm down. Each person has their music.”That’s it for this episode of the ONE Championship Daily News. Thanks for listening—see you in the n