At ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug on Nov. 8, Jackie Buntan will have a second shot to secure inaugural gold in ONE Championship.
Buntan will meet Anissa Meksen for the inaugural ONE Women’s Strawweight Kickboxing World Title on an evening filled with incredible action, and she’s excited to enter as less experienced fighter.
“On paper, I’m the underdog. It’s my first kickboxing fight. She has more than double the experience. She’s a multiple-time World Champion,” Buntan said to ONE.
“So, for me, it just reminds me of going into my first fight with Wondergirl. I was a big underdog, odds stacked against me, and that’s my motivation – just go out there and showcase a new style every time I fight.”
“Showcase new adaptability, be better than my last performance, and win against one of the best kickboxers.”
The 27-year-old has shined under the bright lights since arriving in ONE. In her 2021 debut, she flattened Nat “Wondergirl” Jaroonsak before cruising to a unanimous decision win. It was the first taste of her incredible power and quickness.
It is those tools that she hopes will carry her to gold in her upcoming outing.
“I’m very confident in the strength and power that I have and the athleticism that I have,” Buntan stated.
“I make sure to have no shortcuts when it comes to strength transitioning into technique. I want to make sure that I’m doing the technique correctly, with full power.”
“I think, just like all my matches, that’s definitely going to be one of my strong suits. It doesn’t matter that the gloves are bigger; I think the strength is still going to be there.”
Representing Boxing Works, Buntan has a high benchmark to live up to. Coach Bryan Popejoy is one of America’s elite coaches in Muay Thai and kickboxing, and teammate Janet Todd has already taken home gold in ONE to set the standard.
Buntan feels she has the right team around her for this title opportunity, so she’ll enter with growing confidence that she can take Meksen to the limit.
“I bet on myself all the time. I think I’m going to come out victorious, even if it’s a five-round war. I have a feeling this is going to be that type of fight. I know I’m going to have to bring the dog out inside of me and bring it to her,” the striking star commented.
“But yeah, I expect, as corny as it is, I do expect it to be a super entertaining fight with back-and-forth action. I just think there’s going to be more action on my end.”
In Buntan’s first title opportunity, against Smilla Sundell at ONE 156, she came out on the losing end.
However, she is not dwelling on that past performance. Buntan has put that behind her and is fully focused on “C18” and the kickboxing crown.
“On paper, yes, this is a second chance. But every fight, whether it’s a belt or if it’s just three rounds, I always think of it as a new opportunity. It’s a new fight. It’s just as important if it’s a three-round fight. It’s just as important as if it were a five-round fight for a belt,” Buntan said.
“The stage I’m at, it’s all high-level opponents, and everyone’s worthy of being there, so I don’t take anyone lightly. Whoever wants to stand in front of me, I just view it as a completely new situation.”
Winning a world title on this kind of platform is the goal of any athlete, and Buntan is no different. She is chasing greatness on all levels and has the right opponent on the biggest stage.
This golden opportunity is not lost on the Californian, who hopes this is the start of a long reign to build an enduring legacy in combat sports.
“It would mean the world. Absolutely everything. You know, it’s the reason why I do this. There’s more to it, but that’s obviously the end goal, is you want to work towards something that solidifies your greatness, that solidifies your name in the sport,” Buntan said.
“This is just the stepping stone, the first step in order to do that. I didn’t really see myself fighting professionally until my early 20s, though being able to have another chance to compete for a World Title in a different sport, it’s just an amazing opportunity that I do not take for granted at all. It means a whole lot of things to me. It’s a lifelong journey that I honestly feel like I’m just beginning.”
ONE 169 airs live and free on Prime Video at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Friday, Nov. 8, to all Amazon Prime members based in the U.S. and Canada.