“Things I genuinely like to do” - Jackie Buntan revels at the chance to build her brand further outside the ring
Jackie Buntan is more than just a fighter. The reigning ONE women's strawweight kickboxing world champion has been growing her presence on the mainstream channels following her world title win at ONE 169.
In an interview with ONE Championship, the Filipino-American sensation raved about the opportunities she's been getting in the ring and outside of it.
Buntan said it's been an upswell of opportunities since she captured ONE Championship gold, most notably her multiple photoshoots with renowned magazines and fashion brands. She said:
"I think it's super fun because these are things I genuinely like to do - my genuine interests outside of the gym. Obviously, Muay Thai is a huge part of my life. Training is a huge part of my life. I'm very disciplined and dedicated to that, but I am just a normal girl outside of this."
The 27-year-old has partnered with multiple brands in her hometown of Los Angeles, California, and one of her most recent collaborations is with clothing brand YoungLA.
Buntan was also featured in the latest issue of Vogue Philippines, where she discussed her career and Filipino roots.
Although she's been branching out, Buntan's dedication remains in combat sports.
The Boxing Works star is undoubtedly one of the best strikers on the planet and is preparing for her first defense of her ONE women's strawweight kickboxing world title.
ONE Championship has yet to announce who Buntan will defend her gold against later this year.
Jackie Buntan says her world title win erased all the self-doubt she had in her mind
Jackie Buntan's world title win over the legendary Anissa Meksen was more than a career achievement.
After becoming the inaugural ONE women's strawweight kickboxing world champion, Buntan said the lingering dread disappeared when she held the gold at ONE 169.
In an interview with ONE Championship, Buntan said:
"It solidified everything for me. There were many times where I had so much doubt about pursuing this path of being a professional athlete, especially in combat sports. But after winning the belt, it just kind of solidified like, 'OK, those doubts can all go to rest.'"