“Opening up the doors in this generation” - Jackie Buntan says friend and teammate Janet Todd was a trailblazer for women’s striking 

It's easy to keep looking ahead when you reach the top, but Filipino-American fighter Jackie Buntan never forgets to look back at the people who helped her get there.

The current ONE women's strawweight kickboxing world champion came up through the ranks at Boxing Works in Southern Carolina, where she trained alongside two-sport ONE world champion Janet Todd.

Speaking with ONE Championship in an exclusive interview, Buntan credited her longtime teammate for paving the way:

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"My training partner, my good friend Janet Todd, is like a pioneer in that – not just for women, but in American Muay Thai in general – opening up the doors in this generation.”

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“Put American Muay Thai on the map” - Jackie Buntan is thrilled to see US-based fighters rising through the Muay Thai ranks

Janet Todd helped set the standard, and Jackie Buntan is carrying the torch. After grinding her way through the amateur scene, complete with fundraising, travel, and the daily hustle, she's now one of the few American strikers flying the flag in ONE Championship.

The grind bore fruit at ONE 169 in November 2024, when Buntan took on kickboxing legend Anissa Mekset and walked away with the ONE women's strawweight kickboxing world title.

But even with gold around her waist, Buntan's mission isn't just about winning fights. She has a bigger goal in place:

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“The goal is to put American Muay Thai on the map. Not only the sport, but being able to do that enables you to bring more money into it. Not just with what you get paid to fight, but sponsorships, endorsements.”

“That’s a huge honor. It’s crazy to be able to be one of the select few from the United States to do it.”

Watch Jackie Buntan in action at ONE 169, available via replay on watch.onefc.com.

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