Filipino-American Jackie Buntan aims for two-sport ONE Championship glory

Filipino-American kickboxing star Jackie Buntan made history on Saturday, November 9, by winning the inaugural ONE Women’s Strawweight Kickboxing World Title at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Buntan now aims to make history again for the Philippines by becoming a two-sport ONE champion when she faces Austria’s Stella Hemetsberger for the vacant ONE Women’s Strawweight Muay Thai World Title at ONE Fight Night 35, also held at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, on September 5.

If the 28-year-old beats Hemetsberger at ONE Fight Night 35, Buntan will establish herself as one of the greatest fighters in the promotion’s history by joining the exclusive list of two-sport ONE World Champions — a feat achieved by very few fighters.

Standing in her way is Hemetsberger, who has quickly risen through the ranks at the renowned Phuket Fight Club and trains alongside top fighters, including ONE Women’s Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion Allycia Hellen Rodrigues.

“I think she’s an all-around great athlete, a great Muay Thai athlete. She’s good with her striking, she’s good in the clinch. She has a phenomenal coach and team. I’m a fan of Phuket Fight Club and Leo Elias. I think they are great people, and it shows in the athlete. So, I was excited for her as an opponent. For the Muay Thai belt, I think it makes sense,” Buntan said, as quoted by One FC.

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Buntan enters the fight three inches shorter than her opponent, but the size disadvantage is not new for the superstar, having overcome taller opponents in the past, including Amber Kitchen, Diandra Martin, and Anissa Meksen.

“It definitely plays a big factor. It’s funny — like, my whole career, all the girls I fought, besides maybe one, were taller than me. So, 5-foot-7 to me isn’t that big of a difference, and it also depends on the opponent. Are they the type to rely more on their striking? Do they like to keep you inside and clinch again? It seems like she does a lot more striking. She has a decent clinch. I’m not too worried about that height difference, though. That’s like a couple of inches from me, so nothing too crazy,” she added.

Notably, the upcoming fight gives Buntan a chance to return to her martial arts roots. Despite being the kickboxing champion, she admits that transitioning to Muay Thai is not as easy as it seems — both physically and mentally.

“It definitely requires a different mindset. When training for my last kickboxing fight, part of me felt like, ‘Oh wow, I have pillows on my hands.’ The bigger gloves mean less damage, so in a combat sense, it feels somewhat safer. But that mentality shift becomes extremely violent when you put on 4-ounce gloves and fight for 15 minutes. It’s insane what can happen, but I’m excited because that’s how I started. I began this journey with Muay Thai, so it’s a full circle moment,” Buntan concluded.

Born and raised in the United States, Buntan has established herself as one of the best talents in ONE Championship due to her incredible skill and fighting style. She considers herself a true Filipino at heart and aims to make the country prouder with every achievement in her fighting career.

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