- Filipino-American Jackie Buntan is the reigning ONE Women’s Strawweight Kickboxing World Champion
- Buntan will face Stella Hemetsberger for the vacant ONE Women’s Strawweight Muay Thai World Title
- Should she beat her Austrian rival, Buntan would join the exclusive ranks of two-sport ONE World Champions
For Jackie Buntan, the path to making ONE Championship history runs directly through Austria’s most dangerous export.
The reigning ONE Women’s Strawweight Kickboxing World Champion will look to attain two-sport glory in the main event of ONE Fight Night 35 on Prime Video, which goes down live in U.S. primetime on Friday, September 5.
That evening, she’ll step inside the fabled grounds of Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium to face surging contender Stella Hemetsberger for the vacant ONE Women’s Strawweight Muay Thai World Title.
The Filipino-American knows exactly what’s at stake. Should she defeat the heavy-handed Austrian, Buntan would join the exclusive ranks of two-sport ONE World Champions – a feat achieved by only a select few in the organization’s storied history.
Standing in her way is a 26-year-old striking sensation who has torn through the competition since arriving in ONE Championship last year.
Hemetsberger earned her World Title shot the hard way. She rattled off three consecutive victories on the ONE Friday Fights circuit, capped by a first-round knockout of Vanessa Romanowski that earned her a six-figure contract and a spot on the promotion’s global roster.
Buntan has kept a close eye on Hemetsberger, and she credits her meteoric rise to her environment at the renowned Phuket Fight Club.
The Austrian trains with elite fighters daily, including ONE Women’s Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion Allycia Hellen Rodrigues.
The Filipino-American told onefc.com why she deems Hemetsberger a worthy opponent:
“I think she’s all around a great athlete, a great Muay Thai athlete. She’s good with her striking, she’s good in the clinch. She has a phenomenal coach and team. I’m a fan of Phuket Fight Club and Leo [Elias]. I think they’re great people, and it shows in the athlete. So, I was excited for her as an opponent. For the Muay Thai belt, I think it makes sense.”
While Buntan will be cautious of Hemetsberger’s knockout power, she’ll also be cognizant of her opponent’s three-inch height advantage.
But being at a size disadvantage isn’t exactly new for the 28-year-old striking savant. The California resident has overcome taller opponents in the past, like Amber Kitchen, Diandra Martin, and the legendary Anissa Meksen.
Despite these drawbacks, Buntan has always found a way to win. She explained:
“It definitely plays a big factor. It’s funny. Like, my whole career, all the girls I fought, besides maybe one, were taller than me.
“So, 5-foot-7 to me isn’t that big of a difference, and it also depends on the opponent. Are they the type to rely more on their striking? Do they like to keep you inside and clinch again? It seems like she does a lot more striking. She has a decent clinch. I’m not too worried about that height difference, though. That’s like a couple of inches from me, so nothing too crazy.”
For Jackie Buntan, this fight represents more than a chance to claim a second World Championship belt. It serves as a return to her martial arts roots.
When the opportunity to challenge for the ONE Women’s Strawweight Kickboxing World Title opened up, the Filipino-American enthusiastically accepted the offer. Ultimately, she defeated Anissa Meksen to claim the vacant strap last November.
At ONE Fight Night 35, the Filipino-American switches back to Muay Thai competition where she’ll look to accomplish her dream of achieving two-sport glory.
While Buntan is happy to be back in familiar territory, she admits the transition from kickboxing to Muay Thai is not as easy as it seems, especially from a psychological standpoint.
The strawweight kickboxing queen said:
“It’s definitely a different mindset. When we were training for my last kickboxing fight, part of my mentality was like, ‘Oh wow, I have pillows in my hands.’ The bigger gloves mean less damage, so in a combat sense, it feels kind of nice.
“But that mentality shift becomes extremely violent when you put on 4-ounce gloves and fight for 15 minutes. It’s insane what can happen, but I’m excited because that’s how I started. I began this journey with Muay Thai, so it’s a full circle moment.”