“It just feels surreal” - Jackie Buntan extremely proud to realize lifelong dream of becoming a ONE world champion
Jackie Buntan was at a "loss for words" following her title-winning performance at ONE 169.
On November 8, Buntan changed her life for the better with arguably the biggest win of her fighting career. The American superstar temporarily left Muay Thai to pursue the inaugural women's strawweight kickboxing world title, which she secured at ONE 169 with a unanimous decision win against Anissa Meksen.
Buntan's hard work over the years paid off with a world title. She reflected on the accomplishment by saying this during her in-ring post-fight interview:
"I’m lost for words. I’ve been training since I was 11. I’m 27 now and I’ve been dreaming about this and hoping about it. It just feels surreal that it’s actually in my arms right now."
Heading into ONE 169, Jackie Buntan established herself as a dangerous striker with a promotional Muay Thai record of 6-1. The 27-year-old faced a tough challenge due to her kickboxing experience disadvantage against Anissa Meksen, but she showcased the versatility of her fighting skills.
The full replay of ONE 169: Malykhin vs Reug Reug, including Buntan's title-winning performance against Meksen, is available on demand for Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.
Jackie Buntan: One step closer to Smilla Sundell rematch
In April 2022, Jackie Buntan suffered her lone promotional defeat due to a unanimous decision against Smilla Sundell. Since then, the world-class female Muay Thai strikers have been on a collision course for a must-see rematch.
Buntan was scheduled to face Sundell for a second time in September 2023 before pulling out with an injury. Since then, Sundell has been dethroned of her ONE women's strawweight Muay Thai world title due to a weight miss, even though she's maintained an undefeated promotional record of 4-0 in the sport.
The only thing stopping Buntan and Sundell from fighting again is the latter's weight-cutting issues. The 20-year-old has claimed she wants to stay at strawweight, but it's unclear if she can avoid any problems moving forward.
Buntan's latest win at ONE 169 creates opportunities for her to defend her title against Sundell or pursue two-sport supremacy against the same opponent.