“He deserves it all” - Jackie Buntan says world title win wouldn’t have been possible if not for coach Bryan Popejoy
Jackie Buntan knew she wouldn't have captured her first piece of ONE Championship gold without her trusted mentor Bryan Popejoy.
The pair have been working with one another even before Buntan made her ONE Championship debut, and it's a journey that recently entered a new chapter when the Filipino-American star claimed the ONE women's strawweight kickboxing world title.
Buntan became the first holder of the throne after she outclassed the legendary Anissa Meksen at ONE 169 this past weekend at Lumpinee Stadium.
Taking to Instagram following her win, Jackie Buntan showed love to her longtime coach and her teammates at Boxing Works.
Buntan wrote:
"I can’t thank my coach @bryanpopejoy enough. His belief, energy and time spent on me has been a big part of why I’ve kept this dream alive for so long. We started this thing together and I can’t see myself doing this without him. He deserves it all. My strength coach @speedofsport (Nick Curson) - he believed in me and my potential since we first started together 10 years ago, building me into the athlete I am today. I’m incredibly blessed to have a whole team of aces in my life. My @boxingworks family, @tikysirisutepopejoy (Tiky Sirisute Popejoy) & The Sirisute family, and all the people who ride for me and my sponsors, thank you all for believing in me."
Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada can watch the replay of ONE 169 for free and on demand.
Jackie Buntan says her confidence never waned in her ONE 169 world title matchup against Anissa Meksen
Jackie Buntan always maintained an underdog persona in the lead-up and during her world title fight against Anissa Meksen.
'C18' is considered one of the greatest strikers of all time, with the French-Algerian icon holding gold under WBC Muay Thai, Glory, Enfusion, ISKA, and Kunlun.
Buntan, however, saw Meksen as the final obstacle in her quest for world title glory.
In her in-ring interview with ONE Championship commentator Mitch Chilson, Buntan said she never doubted her chances of capturing the inaugural ONE women's strawweight kickboxing world title despite the tight contest against Meksen.
"I was confident the moment I came to Bangkok a week ago. I was confident this whole camp. I knew it was mine, I just had to solidify it. I just can’t believe it right now."