“I’m the Number One Contender for Both”: Jackie Buntan Sets Her Sight on Achieving the Double Champ Status in Two Different Categories in ONE Championship

Jackie Buntan is hungry for gold in ONE Championship, and she’s not limiting herself to just one of the sports on offer at the Singapore-based promotion.

At ONE Fight Night 10, the Filipino-American striker claimed her fifth win in six matches inside the Circle with an impressive first-round knockout of Diandra Martin to earn back-to-back wins in Muay Thai competition.

In an interview with the promotion following ONE’s first-ever show on U.S. soil, the 25-year-old shared what she wanted next.

Buntan said:

“I want to be a two-sport World Champion in Muay Thai and kickboxing. Obviously, I did the Muay Thai fight last year. It didn’t go my way. That’s still on the horizon. But right now, I truly believe I’m the number one contender for both.”

The Boxing Works standout collected three wins in a row after joining the promotion in 2021, which earned her a shot at the inaugural ONE Strawweight Muay Thai World Championship in April 2022.

Read more: Stamp Fairtex Reveals It Was Her “Years of Training” and “Instinct” That Propelled Her Bout-Ending Body Kick Against Alyse Anderson

She lost out to fellow rising star Smilla Sundell on that occasion, slipping to a unanimous decision loss after five rounds of action, but she has has rebounded impressively since.

Jackie Buntan is looking for bigger challenges

Buntan defeated British striking star Amber Kitchen in 2022 and Martin earlier this month to kick start somewhat of a run in ONE.

Expressing her desire to challenge for a kickboxing World Title may be new, but not surprising. After all, she trains with reigning ONE Atomweight Kickboxing World Champion Janet Todd.

Todd claimed the coveted strap from Stamp Fairtex in 2019 before going on to win the interim atomweight Muay Thai belt last year.

The American superstar failed to unify the divisional crowns against World Champion Allycia Hellen Rodrigues when the Brazilian star returned to action, following the birth of her child, in March, but her training partner’s success in both sports has got Buntan dreaming of doing the same in the strawweight division.

Read more: “The Desire to Fight Is Getting Stronger” – Allycia Hellen Rodrigues Fired Up to Return to Action After Long Pause

“In terms of kickboxing, and why do I want to do it first, and why do I want to do it now? It’s because I’m greedy. And no one has it yet. And I want to be the first one to have it – versus taking my time and being quiet about it.”

[If I’d] win that inaugural belt, and if Smilla is ready, then kickboxing champ versus Muay Thai champ. I think that’d be a really cool show.”