- Stella Hemetsberger will face Jackie Buntan in the main event of ONE Fight Night 35
- 26-year-old Hemetsberger could become Austria’s first-ever ONE World Champion
- She holds an 8-1 professional record. Her most recent win came at ONE Friday Fights 104, vs Vanessa Romanowski
Austrian dynamo Stella Hemetsberger has taken ONE Championship by storm with three straight victories on ONE Friday Fights, and now, she’s ready for the biggest challenge of her career.
The 26-year-old hops back into action in the main event of ONE Fight Night 35 on Prime Video, which broadcasts live in U.S. primetime on Friday, September 5. That evening, she squares off against kickboxing queen Jackie Buntan for the vacant ONE Women’s Strawweight Muay Thai World Title.
Ahead of that historic showdown at Bangkok’s legendary Lumpinee Stadium, here are five fast facts about Hemetsberger, who could become Austria’s first-ever ONE World Champion.
Hemetsberger’s path to “the art of eight limbs” wasn’t planned.
What started as a simple desire to try boxing at age 13 led to a life-changing discovery that would shape her entire future.
The Austrian told onefc.com:
“I started training Muay Thai when I was 13 years old, and I only had my first fight at 17. I started doing martial arts because I wanted to give boxing a try, but coincidentally, I found myself in a Muay Thai gym.”
That coincidental discovery proved to be a fateful calling.
Despite being a late starter to the game, the 26-year-old quickly made a name for herself in the European Muay Thai scene.
Hemetsberger now holds an 8-1 professional record. Her most recent victory came at ONE Friday Fights 104, where she knocked out Polish-Swedish striker Vanessa Romanowski to earn a US$100,000 contract and a spot on ONE Championship’s global roster.
Hemetsberger enters this ONE Fight Night 35 main event showdown with world-class credentials.
The Austrian slugger currently holds the WAKO K-1 Championship and captured gold in the women’s 60-kilogram bracket at the 2022 World Games in Birmingham, Alabama, where she demonstrated her striking prowess on an international level.
Now, she’s fired up to add the richest prize in the sport to her trophy case:
“This opportunity means everything to me. It is a dream come true, and I’m getting as ready as possible to fight for the most prestigious title there is in our sport.”
Hemetsberger isn’t just a natural athlete. She’s also academically gifted.
The World Title challenger graduated with a degree in sports science last year from the University of Salzburg, and she uses that knowledge to maximize her potential with her amazing team of coaches at RS-Gym and Phuket Fight Club.
Her scientific approach to combat sports has paid dividends throughout her career, as she combines technical precision with intelligent fight planning.
She said:
“Being equipped with sports science is really helpful. It allows me to understand my body better in general, and having that knowledge allows me to get the best results out of training.”
Long before she was refining her fighting skills, Hemetsberger channeled her creativity into hands-on projects.
This passion for building and creating traces back to her childhood memories with her grandfather.
The ONE Championship star recalled:
“When I was young, one of my favorite things to do was to spend my time in my grandpa’s small ‘workshop’ in his backyard just building things there.”
Hemetsberger finds some balance in her busy schedule by embracing Austria’s picturesque environment and the tropical beaches of Thailand.
Whether she’s skiing down Alpine slopes in the winter or just soaking up the sun in Phuket, Hemetsberger uses these activities to stay physically active while mentally recharging.
The Austrian said:
“I love being outside in general. When I’m not focused on my matches, I spend a lot of time in the mountains skiing or hiking. I love spending time with family and friends in nature.”