'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFQABAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAf/xAAVAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADBP/aAAwDAQACEAMQAAAAlVSGp//EACIQAAEEAQIHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMBAgQFABQhBxESIzJBcv/aAAgBAQABPwC4E+qt5tWWRyU5haRDDQ6O6CObu7ZW5A4aRZcGPJ01V3htJ4l9p9Z//8QAFxEAAwEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIDIf/aAAgBAgEBPwCmsf/EABgRAAIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECAAMR/9oACAEDAQE/AKUUA5P/2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
ONE strawweight kickboxing queen Jackie Buntan said being world champion has been "liberating" for her. Buntan said training has been more fun for her as she has rid herself of the added pressure of chasing a world title.
She spoke about it in an interview with ONE Championship, highlighting how training has been for her ahead of a possible title defense later this year.
The 27-year-old Boxing Works standout said:
"It's absolutely freeing. It's so freeing to the point where you're having fun. It sounds ridiculous, maybe, but it's true. You don't have so much pressure on your shoulders to execute a specific movement."
Trending
Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
Jackie Buntan added her name to the list of ONE world champions by defeating veteran French-Algerian striker Anissa Meksen by decision for the inaugural women's strawweight kickboxing world title at ONE 169 last November.
Apart from becoming world champion, the win was also the fourth straight, and seventh in eight matches, for Buntan in ONE Championship.
Jackie Buntan says going for the strawweight Muay Thai gold makes sense for her
Apart from defending the strawweight kickboxing belt, Jackie Buntan is also looking to make another go at the division's Muay Thai strap. She believes that at this juncture of her career, such makes a whole lot of sense.
The Filipino-American fighter signified her intentions in the same interview with ONE Championship, saying:
"I'm at that point now like, 'What's next and how can I top this and keep topping that?' Right now, I think the Muay Thai title makes sense."
Jackie Buntan vied for the inaugural strawweight Muay Thai belt in April 2022. She, however, fell short in her push, losing by decision to Swedish teen phenom Smilla Sundell.
The ONE strawweight Muay Thai world title is currently vacant after Sundell was stripped of it in her last match in May 2024 for missing weight in her scheduled title clash against Russian Natalia Diachova.
The match still pushed through with Diachova the lone one eligible to claim the title with a win, but Sundell scored the victory with a second-round TKO.
