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Jackie Buntan couldn't have asked for a better promotional debut than the one she had against Nat 'Wondergirl' Jaroonsak in 2021.
The Filipino-American sensation was still a prospect when she faced 'Wondergirl' at ONE: Fists of Fury, but she quickly proved she deserved a spot on the world's biggest martial arts stage.
In an interview with Alex Wendling, Buntan recalled how she was in the proverbial zone when she completely dismantled Jaroonsak in their Singapore showdown.
Jackie Buntan said she felt unstoppable during the fight and knew Jaroonsak was at her mercy going forward.
She stated:
"All athletes get to experience a flow state. Not all the time, but once you do it's kind of indescribable and I was definitely in a flow state here. Yeah, I was just so excited. I put my hands up prematurely and then I saw her get up and I was like 'Okay, this isn't ending right now.'"
Buntan added:
"But that specific movement, we worked religiously for like two months, and doing it at first felt so weird so the fact that it landed in such a significant way, I was just so excited. I knew she was dazed, I knew I could capitalize on that, and just keep throwing multiple strikes at her and I knew like, you know, she wasn't really in the right state to kind of like see it all."
Buntan started her ONE Championship run with a dominant unanimous decision win over 'Wondergirl' and she's since racked up an impressive 6-1 record, including a first-round knockout of Diandra Martin in Denver.
Smilla Sundell wants to run it back with Jackie Buntan
Although Jackie Buntan remained largely unchallenged in ONE Championship, there is one smudge in her promotional record.
Smilla Sundell was the only person to beat Buntan in the promotion when they faced each other for the inaugural ONE women's strawweight Muay Thai world championship.
Buntan has since recovered from the loss with three straight wins, and Sundell wants to run it back with her old rival.
"I would love a rematch with her because she's a pro, and I think I have improved [as well]. So why not? Let's do it again," said Sundell in an interview with Calf Kick Sports.
Sundell, though, would have to take care of business at ONE Fight Night 22 when she defends the ONE women's strawweight world title against Natalia Diachkova on May 3 at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.
ONE Fight Night 22 is available live and free to all Prime Video subscribers in the United States.
Watch Sundell's entire interview below:
