“I’ve been pushing to compete in kickboxing” - Jackie Buntan reveals she took it upon herself to ask for a kickboxing match in ONE

Jackie Buntan wasn't going to let an opportunity pass her by, even if she had to will her way into existence.

The Filipino-American standout got that chance when ONE Championship announced she would fight the legendary Anissa Meksen for the inaugural ONE women's strawweight kickboxing world title at ONE 169.

Buntan's second crack at a world title goes down this Friday in US primetime at the historic Lumpinee Stadium.

In an interview with Beyond Kickboxing, Buntan revealed she's been pushing for a kickboxing run in ONE Championship.

What she didn't expect though was an immediate shot at an inaugural world title and against a legendary fighter to boot.

Jackie Buntan said:

"Ever since I was signed to the company, I've been pushing to compete in kickboxing as well. After my last fight against Martine Michieletto, I personally messaged [ONE] and said, 'Hey, I want a kickboxing fight, I want a kickboxing fight.'"

Buntan was coming off a third straight win when she outclassed Michieletto at the historic all-female ONE Fight Night 20 card in March this year.

With momentum on her side, Buntan felt it was time to briefly transition to kickboxing after tallying six Muay Thai wins in the promotion.

She now has another chance for a world title after she fell short in her bid for the inaugural ONE women's strawweight Muay Thai world title against Smilla Sundell ONE 156.

Buntan's world title clash against Meksen and the entire ONE 169 card are available live and free to all Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.

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Jackie Buntan embraces underdog label ahead of world title showdown against Anissa Meksen

Anissa Meksen is considered one of the greatest fighters of all time, and Jackie Buntan knows she'll be in an uphill battle against the French-Algerian icon at ONE 169.

In an interview with Violent Money TV, Buntan acknowledged that Meksen holds a massive advantage in terms of experience over her.

Meksen holds a remarkable 103-6 overall record in her career and held multiple world titles across WBC Muay Thai, Glory, ISKA, Kunlun, and Enfusion.

Nevertheless, Buntan is ready to bring the fight to 'C18' in Bangkok:

"Obviously she has way more experience than I have, I’m definitely an underdog on paper with the data and the numbers side to side. But besides Anissa, I’ve fought girls with more experience than me as well and was still able to come out on top."