“Respect is everything” - Jackie Buntan shares why ONE Championship fighters embody the true essence of martial arts
Jackie Buntan broke down why she respects the "respect is everything" aspect of ONE Championship.
Over the last few years, Buntan has called ONE Championship her home, establishing promotional records of 6-1 in Muay Thai and 1-0 in kickboxing. The 27-year-old has capitalized on the promotion's platform and high-level competition while maintaining her respectful demeanor.
During an interview with ONE, Buntan had this to say about how most of the promotion's fighters don't utilize disrespectful methods before fights:
"I think it's always interesting for people when there's a bit of spice mixed in. It's just like you talked about, the number one thing that comes to my mind is every dude on the UFC roster loves to run their mouths, and that always sells the fights that put eyes on the pay-per-view and everything else. You rarely see it in ONE Championship, I feel. As cheesy as it is, they do embody the whole respect is everything type of idea."
On November 8, Jackie Buntan challenged herself by fighting in kickboxing instead of Muay Thai. The 27-year-old's latest test paid off, as she defeated Anissa Meksen by unanimous decision for the inaugural women's strawweight kickboxing world title, etching her name into promotional history.
The full replay of ONE 169: Malykhin vs Reug Reug, including Buntan's win against Meksen, is available on demand for Amazon Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.
What's next for Jackie Buntan in ONE Championship?
On May 3, Smilla Sundell missed weight and was forced to vacate her ONE women's strawweight Muay Thai world title. Sundell's opponent, Natalia Diachkova, remained eligible to win the strap.
Sundell secured a second-round knockout in the ONE Fight Night 22 matchup, leaving the division without a champion.
Jackie Buntan is undoubtedly a primary candidate to fight for the vacant women's strawweight Muay Thai throne. Buntan also has a history with Sundell, as the latter is the only fighter to defeat the American in ONE Championship.
Sundell vs. Buntan 2 is the fight to make, assuming 'The Hurricane' can make weight and stay in the division. It should be noted that Sundell has voiced her interest in staying at strawweight temporarily before moving up to flyweight.