Smilla Sundell leaning heavily on strong support system to reach greater heights

Back when she was just 17 years old, Smilla Sundell already etched her name in the history books of ONE Championship.

The Sundbyberg, Sweden native faced Filipino-American star Jackie Buntan in the co-main event of ONE 156 on April 22, 2022, for the inaugural ONE women's strawweight Muay Thai world championship.

After a grueling five-round contest that saw both women give it their all, the now 19-year-old Sundell would find her hand raised as the victor.

Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more

'The Hurricane' looked back on her journey to the mountaintop at such a young age and gave full credit to her family during an interview with ONE Championship:

“I just want to be the best version of myself and to be able to reach all my goals by doing a thing that I love. My family’s a big support that helps me reach everything that I want, even if they’re not training with me anymore.”

Smilla Sundell remains undefeated in her ONE Championship career

Since her big win over Buntan, Sundell has come out victorious in her last two outings inside the ONE Championship Circle.

The 19-year-old made her kickboxing debut at ONE Friday Fights 18 this past May against Milana Bjelogrlić, winning the bout by unanimous decision.

She then defended her ONE women's strawweight Muay Thai world championship against ONE atomweight Muay Thai world champion Allycia Hellen Rodrigues at ONE Fight Night 14 in September, putting away the Brazilian star with a third-round TKO.

Buntan was supposed to be Sundell's original opponent for the September card, but the Filipino-American pulled out due to personal issues.

However, that has not prevented Sundell from hoping to share the Circle once again with Buntan down the line.

About the author

Karl has been an MMA writer at Sportskeeda since 2023. He holds a Bachelor of Arts major in history, which helps him pay attention to the finer details while writing, and also has first-hand experience in boxing. He has a total experience of 5 years, and has worked for the International Business Times.

Karl turned into an MMA fan back in 2011 after watching Tito Ortiz defeat Ryan Bader via first-round submission at UFC 132. He has interviewed ONE world champions like Eduard Folayang, Joshua Pacio, Stamp Fairtex, and Tawanchai in his career so far.

On the non-MMA side of things, he interviewed WWE superstar Matt Riddle in 2021 and his question about Roman Reigns elicited an interesting answer which was widely covered by outlets like Sportskeeda and Cultaholic Wrestling's YouTube channel. He has also interviewed NBA stars Dwight Howard, Nick Young, Andre Roberson, Shabazz Muhammad, Jason Williams and Brian Scalabrine plus Filipino women's volleyball star Alyssa Valdez.

Karl ensures to double-check facts before using them in articles, and reads up on potential topics for pieces a day before. In his off time, he likes to play video games, and keep up with basketball and pro wrestling.

Know More

Follow One Championship News, Schedule & Results at Sportskeeda.

Edited by C. Naik

“My family’s a big support” – Smilla Sundell banking on strong support system to help her reach all her goals

Smilla Sundell remains undefeated in her ONE Championship career