“Little me could’ve never imagined” - Filipino-American sensation Jackie Buntan thrilled to share her story with influential magazine

Jackie Buntan is steadily accepting the magnitude of her star power in combat sports.

The reigning and inaugural ONE women's strawweight kickboxing world champion was recently featured in the latest issue of Vogue Philippines, and Buntan admitted that she never anticipated the influence she has in her chosen field.

Taking to Instagram, Buntan said she only thought of expanding her career in combat sports and collecting world titles left and right.

Buntan, though, never expected to be profiled in one of the most influential magazines in current circulation.

She posted:

"It’s an incredible honor and dream to be featured on @voguephilippines. Little me could’ve never imagined the life we’ve built. When I started this journey as a kid, I had no idea it would lead me here."

Jackie Buntan added:

"No shortcuts and no handouts, just authenticity, dedication, and faith in the vision. Grateful beyond words for how far we’ve come."

Buntan quickly established her presence in the ONE Championships, going 3-0 in her first three fights to earn a shot at the inaugural ONE women's strawweight Muay Thai world title.

That first world title shot, however, ended in disappointment when she lost to Smilla Sundell at ONE 156.

Nevertheless, Buntan recovered with a four-fight winning streak that culminated in the biggest win of her career.

Buntan took on the legendary Anissa Meksen for the inaugural ONE women's strawweight kickboxing world title at ONE 169 in a clinical back-and-forth banger.

Neither fighter gave an inch of breathing room throughout the five-round contest, but Buntan's aggression ultimately earned her the gold and became the first fighter of Filipino descent to capture kickboxing gold in ONE Championship.

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Jackie Buntan says capturing ONE Championship gold was a testament to her status in US Muay Thai

Jackie Buntan has been competing in Muay Thai since grade school, and living with the sport became second nature to her.

It wasn't until she captured the ONE women's strawweight kickboxing world title that she realized she held a high status within the US Muay Thai community.

In an interview with ONE Championship, the California native said:

"When you're doing something for so long, like in my case, since I was a kid, you don't really get to think about it. It wasn't until I won the belt that it put things in perspective - wow, I really am able to be one of the pioneers for American Muay Thai, not just women, but American Muay Thai."