American striking sensation Jackie Buntan will soon return to action at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, and she’ll be sharing the card with her longtime teammate and current ONE Atomweight Kickboxing World Champion Janet Todd.
This Friday in U.S. primetime, at ONE Fight Night 20 on Prime Video, Buntan will square off with Martine “The Italian Queen” Michieletto in a 130-pound catchweight Muay Thai tilt that promises plenty of action.
Jackie Buntan will fight with a heavy heart
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When the 26-year-old Buntan competes that night, she’ll be doing so with a heavy heart, as her training partner “JT” will make her final walk to the ring in the evening’s main event. Buntan recently reflected on the pair’s decade-long relationship that’s seen them grow into close friends:
“The first time I met Janet, I was so young. I think I was still in high school, maybe like a freshman at the time. We were training in the same class. But yeah, that was so, so long ago.” She said. “It’s actually crazy to think about.” Since they first met, both women have taken the striking world by storm.
The current atomweight kickboxing queen and the former ONE Interim Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion, Todd has firmly established herself as a global superstar and one of the coldest strikers to ever lace up the gloves. For her part, Buntan is one of the most promising young talents in ONE Championship, boasting an impressive 5-1 promotional record. Buntan credits much of her success at the elite level to her close work with Todd. She explained how they made each other better.
“I was really just training with grown men, older men. She came along with crazy technique, a great partner to work with. So it was actually super nice, super refreshing. I was kind of excited to finally have a female of the same size, better skill too, to be working with on a daily basis.”
Todd’s exit will make her emotional by all means
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“It’s the cliché saying of iron sharpens iron. We make each other better. We feed off each other’s energy. And I think that’s the root of our progress. The root of our growth is being able to work together. We both individually have good days and bad days.” Buntan admits to feeling a bit of melancholy about her teammate’s retirement but knows the 38-year-old has already done plenty to stamp her name in the history books as a World Champion.
Also Read: Janet Todd Ready to “Move On” After Phetjeeja Fight at ONE Fight Night 20 Will Be Her Last
She spoke about Todd’s retirement from competition: “I guess emotional at that. You know, happy, sad, proud — everything really. It’s almost as if it’s the end of an era, but not really, because she’s solidified her name in the world, especially for the females and for the U.S. athletes. And that won’t be forgotten.”
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“So it’s a bittersweet moment, but it’s a moment that comes for everyone.” All the action from ONE Fight Night 20 will be broadcast live and for free to 190 countries around the world, including Prime Video for fans across North America.
