“A win for all female athletes” - Jackie Buntan says fight with Anissa Meksen will be massive for all women in combat sports

Jackie Buntan understands that representation matters, especially in the grandest stage of combat sports. That said, the Filipina-American warrior is extremely grateful to have the chance to banner the women's striking ranks at the highest levels by competing for the inaugural ONE women's strawweight kickboxing world title.

This Friday, Nov. 8, Buntan will share the iconic Lumpinee Stadium ring with one of the most decorated female strikers of all time, Anissa Meksen, in the first of three world championship bouts at ONE 169: Malykhin vs. 'Reug Reug'.

For Jackie Buntan, this amazing opportunity is more than just acquiring 26 pounds of gold. It's also a testament to just how far women have come in the professional martial arts scene.

The Boxing Works representative told ONE Championship ahead of the biggest fight of her career:

"The biggest thing in female sports is when people ask, ‘Why don't you watch female sports?’ It's always, ‘It's not as entertaining.’ Right? So being able to put on a fight that's hopefully Fight of the Night, then that's a win for all female athletes."

The ONE 169 mega event is free for Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada, as it happens live in US primetime.

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Jackie Buntan won't let second chance at a ONE world title slip through her fingers

ONE 169 isn't Jackie Buntan's first rodeo in high-profile battles in the world's largest martial arts organization.

The 27-year-old striker has a 6-1 record under the ONE banner, with her lone loss coming against Smilla Sundell for the inaugural women's strawweight Muay Thai belt back in 2022.

Armed with the wisdom and knowledge she learned from that setback, Buntan said she's ready to redeem herself against Anissa Meksen and live up to her full potential by becoming a ONE world champion:

"I feel a bit more lighter with my mentality and especially in this training camp, not to put so much pressure on myself and just really trust the work I've been doing because that's all I can do," she told ONE.