“That’s the goal” - Jackie Buntan vows to lead massive surge of American Muay Thai fighters in ONE
Jackie Buntan wants a legacy filled with world title wins and an indelible influence on American martial arts.
The reigning ONE women's strawweight kickboxing world champion wants to lead a charge that would see more American fighters find success in ONE Championship.
In an interview with ONE Championship, Jackie Buntan said:
"That's the goal - to get recognition for American Muay Thai athletes, the strikers here, because there are so many talented ones. When I retire, I'd love to see as many American athletes in ONE as there are Thai athletes or athletes from Asia."
The United States is one of the most successful countries in terms of world title wins in ONE Championship.
The promotion has seen eight fighters of American descent capture eight world titles, with seven world champions in MMA and submission grappling.
Buntan was the first fighter from the United States to capture a ONE world title under the striking arts when she beat the legendary Anissa Meksen.
The Filipino-American sensation bagged the biggest win of her career when she upended Meksen at ONE 169 to become the inaugural ONE women's strawweight kickboxing world champion.
Buntan and Meksen battled it out in a mesmerizing chess match in Bangkok with neither fighter giving an inch throughout the five-round fight.
In the end, Buntan's constant pressure and aggression earned her the unanimous decision win and the gold.
The 27-year-old now looks to expand her legacy and has been clamoring for a shot at the vacant ONE women's strawweight Muay Thai world title.
Jackie Buntan says she had to slow things down after her world title triumph
Jackie Buntan is a true gym rat, but she admitted she had to tone things down when she finally captured a piece of ONE Championship gold.
In the same interview with ONE Championship, Buntan said she had to step back a little to fully comprehend the magnitude of her victory over Anissa Meksen for the inaugural ONE women's strawweight kickboxing world title. She said:
"I'm guilty of dreaming and hoping for one thing, and then it comes to fruition, and then quickly I'm like, "What's next?" I kind of felt that way after winning the kickboxing belt, but I had to take a step back and give myself the flowers and really enjoy this time and all the work I put into it."