- George Chung
- Oct 17, 2024
- 3 min read
Jackie Buntan has a massive task ahead of her at ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug. On Friday, November 8, the Southern Californian will take on Anissa Meksen for the inaugural ONE Women's Strawweight Kickboxing World Championship.
Although Meksen will move up to strawweight for the title opportunity, Buntan says she will feel like the underdog in the title tilt due to a lack of experience in the larger gloves.
"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," Buntan stated to ONE.
"So, for me, it just reminds me of going into my first fight with Wondergirl. I was a big underdog, odds stacked against me, and that's my motivation – just go out there and showcase a new style every time I fight."
"Showcase new adaptability, be better than my last performance, and win against one of the best kickboxers."
Buntan has soared to new heights since arriving in ONE. Her exceptional power and crisp style have made her an international star.
She is planning to utilize her physical gifts at ONE 169 to put away one of the sport's all-time greats.
"I'm very confident in the strength and power that I have and the athleticism that I have," the Boxing Works representative said.
"I make sure to have no shortcuts when it comes to strength transitioning into technique. I want to make sure that I'm doing the technique correctly, with full power."
"I think, just like all my matches, that's definitely going to be one of my strong suits. It doesn't matter that the gloves are bigger; I think the strength is still going to be there."
Buntan vs. Meksen could be one of the best stylistic matchups at ONE 169. The two warriors have complementary styles that could produce an instant classic inside Lumpinee Stadium.
The 27-year-old is prepping for her career's biggest fight by ensuring she is as technically proficient as possible.
"I bet on myself all the time. I think I'm going to come out victorious, even if it's a five-round war. I have a feeling this is going to be that type of fight. I know I'm going to have to bring the dog out inside of me and bring it to her," Buntan remarked.
"But yeah, I expect, as corny as it is, I do expect it to be a super entertaining fight with back-and-forth action. I just think there's going to be more action on my end."
This will not be the first opportunity for Buntan to earn gold. She challenged for the inaugural ONE Strawweight Muay Thai World Title against Smilla Sundell but came out on the losing end to the Swedish phenom.
While this match could be a little taste of redemption, Buntan merely sees it as its own standalone bout.
"On paper, yes, this is a second chance. But every fight, whether it's a belt or if it's just three rounds, I always think of it as a new opportunity. It's a new fight. It's just as important if it's a three-round fight. It's just as important as if it were a five-round fight for a belt," the strawweight contender said.
"The stage I'm at, it's all high-level opponents, and everyone's worthy of being there, so I don't take anyone lightly. Whoever wants to stand in front of me, I just view it as a completely new situation."
Becoming the first-ever strawweight kickboxing queen excites the California native.
Buntan wants to be remembered as one of the best to ever compete in combat sports, and defeating Meksen for kickboxing gold would be a huge step forward in that goal. The journey to the top of the mountain is just one fight away.
"It would mean the world. Absolutely everything. You know, it's the reason why I do this. There's more to it, but that's obviously the end goal, is you want to work towards something that solidifies your greatness, that solidifies your name in the sport," Buntan commented.
"This is just the stepping stone, the first step in order to do that. I didn't really see myself fighting professionally until my early 20s, though being able to have another chance to compete for a World Title in a different sport, it's just an amazing opportunity that I do not take for granted at all. It means a whole lot of things to me. It's a lifelong journey that I honestly feel like I'm just beginning."
ONE 169 airs live and free on Prime Video on Friday, November 8, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT to all Amazon Prime subscribers based in the U.S. and Canada.
