"The real champion is back" - Fans rally behind French-Algerian legend Anissa Meksen's quest for gold against Jackie Buntan

The legendary Anissa Meksen's legion of fans are showering her with support ahead of her inaugural ONE women's strawweight kickboxing world championship matchup against Filipino-American sensation Jackie Buntan. The bout is set for ONE 169: Malykhin vs. 'Reug Reug' on Nov. 8 inside the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

The world's largest martial arts promotion shared a video of 'C18' preparing for the world title bout on Instagram, with the accompanying caption:

"'C18' is READY 🦵👊 Can Anissa Meksen claim the inaugural ONE Women's Strawweight Kickboxing World Title at ONE 169 on @primevideo? @anissameksen"

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Fans sent their well-wishes to the French-Algerian great in the comments section:

"@anissameksen the real champion is back! Proud 🔥😍🇩🇿🇩🇿🇩🇿

"You got this Champ 💪"

"Champion 🇩🇿 🔥🔥"

"@anissameksen you got this champ! 🔥❤️🏆"

"The best by far ❤️"

Screenshot of fans' comments. [ONE Championship/Instagram, screenshot]

Meksen and Buntan were initially scheduled to fight for the inaugural ONE women's 125-pound kickboxing crown at ONE Fight Night 23 this past July. However, the latter suffered a toe injury that ultimately postponed the bout.

Jackie Buntan enters Anissa Meksen world title tilt with underdog mentality

Jackie Buntan knows Anissa Meksen, who has won the Glory Women's Super Bantamweight and ISKA K-1 Bantamweight World Championships, will have the benefit of experience on her side in their inaugural ONE women's strawweight kickboxing world championship bout at ONE 169.

The Boxing Works product said as much in an interview with the world's largest martial arts promotion:

"On paper, I'm the underdog. It's my first kickboxing fight. She has more than double the experience. She's a multiple-time World Champion."

ONE 169 will air live from the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. The event will be free to all Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.