“I find myself the most creative" - Kickboxing queen Jackie Buntan says her biggest breakthroughs come outside training camp

Even inaugural ONE women's strawweight kickboxing world champion Jackie Buntan agrees that most people learn more in an environment that's playful.

The Filipina-American superstar recently spoke with ONE Championship, sharing that most of the progress she has made came when she was not preparing for fights.

"After that big fight and with the holidays, it was kind of just a weight off [coach] Brian's shoulders and weight off mine. I always say training can be fun again."

The Boxing Works affiliate continued:

"In camp, it's grueling, it's tiring. But in between fights, when you're not in camp, that's when I find training and sparring to truly be fun again. That's when I find myself the most creative."

To be fair, training camps for fights are indeed an avenue for growth, but it does come with more pressure and sometimes restrictions. Focusing on one game plan and a singular opponent can get repetitive and demands a more serious vibe.

As in Jackie Buntan's case, just casually working in the gym allows her to address all the nuances of the striking arts. This freedom and creativity certainly made the 27-year-old one of the most well-rounded and most fun to watch strikers today.

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Jackie Buntan says inner fire grew more intense after becoming champion

Jackie Buntan has never lacked motivation, evidenced by her spectacular run against elite competition in the home of martial arts.

The heavy-handed fan-favorite finally realized her lifelong dream of becoming a world champion in her career-defining moment against the great Anissa Meksen last year.

With 26 pounds of gold now in her possession, Buntan said her passion for the sport rose to an all-time high. She told ONE:

"It's more so a realization like, 'OK, you are number one in the world now, there's a target on my back.' I know everyone wants the belt. It makes it exciting, and that makes me more motivated."