‘I Truly Understand That Struggle’ – Why Jackie Buntan Is Giving Back To The United States Muay Thai Community

Reigning ONE Women’s Strawweight Kickboxing World Champion Jackie Buntan is excited to participate in a fundraising seminar for some of America’s top young Muay Thai talents this May – proving she hasn’t forgotten her roots despite her remarkable rise to global superstardom.

The 27-year-old American recognizes the financial challenges that amateur fighters face when competing internationally. After all, her climb to the top of the striking world wasn’t without those same obstacles.

Last November at ONE 169, Buntan defeated kickboxing legend Anissa “C18” Meksen to claim ONE World Title gold, solidifying herself as America’s top striker.

She recently spoke to onefc.com about her fundraising efforts and what it means to be a part of her nation’s ever-evolving Muay Thai and kickboxing scene:

“I’ve totally been there as an amateur fighter trying to fundraise with seminars or selling T-shirts, so I’ve literally been through it all. Anything I can do to help my teammates achieve their dreams, especially bringing back a gold medal, I’m all there for.”

The upcoming seminar will benefit American athletes competing at the upcoming IFMA tournament in Turkey, which the Boxing Works representative describes as “essentially the Olympics of Muay Thai.”

Buntan, who is currently riding a four-fight winning streak and has aspirations of two-sport glory in the future, credits her amateur Muay Thai experience for her current success in the world’s largest martial arts organization:

“I think people think once you’re a World Champion or you’re on a big stage like ONE, you kind of forget about everything else you’ve done, but I don’t forget about those moments at all.”

The strawweight kickboxing queen has maintained her connection to the grassroots Muay Thai community throughout her professional career, which is exactly why she’s proud to support the next generation of American fighters:

“My amateur days, my younger days are what helped me get to where I’m at today, and I truly understand that struggle.”

Buntan Proud To Represent U.S. Muay Thai On The Global Stage

For Jackie Buntan, holding ONE Championship gold comes with the responsibility of representing American Muay Thai on the international scene – a role she embraces with pride.

She credits her longtime training partner, former two-sport ONE World Champion Janet Todd, for laying the groundwork for American strikers to compete at the world-class level.

Buntan explained what it means to compete against the best of the best in ONE:

“That’s a huge honor. It’s crazy to be able to be one of the select few from the United States to do it. My training partner, my good friend Janet Todd, is like a pioneer in that – not just for women, but in American Muay Thai in general – opening up the doors in this generation.”

The Californian’s ambitions extend beyond her own competitive success. She aims to elevate the profile of U.S.-based Muay Thai fighters globally.

With each massive fight, whether it’s Muay Thai or kickboxing, Buntan is doing just what Todd did before her – paving the way for the next generation.

She understands that her success creates opportunities not just for herself, but for the entire American striking community:

“The goal is to put American Muay Thai on the map. Not only the sport, but being able to do that enables you to bring more money into it. Not just with what you get paid to fight, but sponsorships, endorsements.”

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