Jackie Buntan ready to face "an all-around great athlete" Stella Hemetsberger in return to Muay Thai

Jackie Buntan is showing respect for her Austrian challenger while expressing confidence about returning to her roots when they compete for the vacant ONE women's strawweight Muay Thai world championship.

The reigning ONE women's strawweight kickboxing world champion addressed her preparation for transitioning back to Muay Thai rules against Stella Hemetsberger at ONE Fight Night 35 inside Bangkok's legendary Lumpinee Stadium on Friday, Sept. 5.

"So, back in this training camp, I think Stella's an all-around great athlete. She has good striking, good inside work in the clinch. But coming off a kickboxing fight is really just putting back those four-ounce gloves and utilizing my elbows and clinch again," Jackie Buntan told Sportskeeda MMA in an exclusive interview.

"Those would be obviously the biggest differences transitioning back into Muay Thai, but going back to my bread and butter, really, how I started this thing."

The Filipino-American world champion heads into this massive headliner showdown on the back of four successive triumphs in the promotion.

In her last outing, the Boxing Works martial artist, trained by renowned Muay Thai coach Bryan Popejoy, claimed the biggest scalp of her career against Anissa Meksen to win her first ONE world title.

Later this week, Buntan will be fired up to join the exclusive club of two-sport world champions while facing an opponent who earned her title shot through a perfect 3-0 record in the ONE Friday Fights series.

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Stella Hemetsberger has nothing but respect for Jackie Buntan ahead of their meeting

Stella Hemetsberger, who hails from Salzburg, expects a tough fight when she challenges Jackie Buntan inside the Thai capital city this Friday.

The RS-GYM and Phuket Fight Club affiliate told ONE Championship:

"She has a lot on the line, just like me. Becoming a world champion in kickboxing isn't easy, and for her to get this chance at the Muay Thai belt - I know she'll come prepared."

Active Amazon Prime Video subscribers in North America can watch this epic striking showdown and the entire ONE Fight Night 35 card live in U.S. primetime at no additional cost.