"Beat the best to be the best" - Confident Jackie Buntan gives props to Anissa Meksen following world title victory at ONE 169

Jackie Buntan went above and beyond to give Anissa Meksen her flowers after defeating the French-Algerian striking icon for the inaugural ONE women's strawweight kickboxing world championship at ONE 169: Malykhin vs. 'Reug Reug' this past Friday, Nov. 8, inside the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Buntan shared during the ONE 169 post-event press conference:

"Anissa is a legend in the game. I remember watching her when I was still in high school. So it was a very big fight, a very big opportunity, but that's the type of fight I wanted, especially for the belt. You've got to beat the best to be the best. I didn't take her lightly, I didn't underestimate her at all. But going in there, I felt so confident. I felt like I was the better fighter right before the [first] round even started, to be honest."

Buntan traded strikes cautiously with 'C18' early on out of respect for her ability to string combos together in the blink of an eye.

Under the watchful guidance of longtime coach Bryan Popejoy in between rounds, the Filipino-American made timely adjustments that allowed her to dissect Meksen's defense en route to the unanimous decision win and her first ONE world championship.

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Jackie Buntan one step closer to goal of becoming ONE double-champ

Jackie Buntan's stellar victory over Anissa Meksen puts her one step closer to her goal of simultaneously holding two ONE world championships.

Speaking with ONE ahead of ONE 169, the Boxing Works product shared:

"Yeah, that would be the goal. First things first, win this belt first this weekend and then next year, be active, defend the belt, go for the Muay Thai belt. Whatever it may be."

Fans in the United States and Canada with an active Prime Video subscription can rewatch ONE 169 on demand.