"I definitely put some pressure on myself" - Jackie Buntan hypes herself up ahead of title match against Smilla Sundell

Jackie Buntan doesn’t need any outside voices to hype her up ahead of her title match against teenage phenom Smilla Sundell.

The two strikers will duke it out for the inaugural ONE women’s strawweight Muay Thai world title at ONE 156: Eersel vs. Sadikovic on April 22, which will be broadcast live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

During ONE Championship's virtual media day, Buntan acknowledged that being a professional fighter will always involve pressure, especially if there’s a world title on the line. Nevertheless, she is ready for the high-stakes situation she’s getting herself into.

Jackie Buntan said:

“We're in a pressure type of business, especially with this fight being for an inaugural title. I definitely put some pressure on myself. But like I said, If I peel it back at the end of the day, take that pressure away, stay calm, stay present, I know I'll be able to get the job done,” said the Filipino-American star.

Buntan added that dealing with pressure is a step-by-step process that starts in the earliest days of training camp. It’s also a great help that Buntan’s training partner is ONE women’s atomweight kickboxing world champion Janet Todd.

“Well, it's a big lead-up for me, you know, it starts in training camp. It starts this week. But in terms of walking out to the cage, walking out to the fight, I just need to find my breath. My breath is my center place that keeps me calm and keeps me relaxed really.”

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Jackie Buntan is ready for Smilla Sundell’s aggression

Buntan had a flying 3-0 start to her ONE Championship career and she did that through her methodical style of fighting. Sundell, on the other hand, fights under one speed and that’s pure aggression.

Their matchup will be an interesting clash of styles, and Buntan is ready for every bit of it.

Jackie Buntan, who's won all her fights by decision, said she expects Sundell to go forward the moment the bell rings, just as the 17-year-old Swede did in her debut against Diandra Martin in February this year.

Sundell was aggression personified in her fight against Martin, in which she secured a third-round stoppage win. The 24-year-old Buntan said that it’s Sundell’s reckless style that she could ultimately take advantage of come their match.

“I think she's just going to keep that same forward pressure as she did in her debut fight… I'm confident in my skill set. I'm confident in my fight IQ, and I think that's going to be the main difference.”

Tune in to ONE 156 on April 22 to see who emerges as the inaugural ONE women's strawweight Muay Thai champion.