"When she catches me slipping then she'll tell me" - Jackie Buntan appreciates training partner Janet Todd's bluntness

Jackie Buntan couldn't have asked for a better training partner ahead of her next fight. Buntan, who trains at Boxing Works gym in California, is fortunate to have ONE atomweight kickboxing world champion Janet Todd in her corner. The 24-year-old says that more than the physical drills, it’s Todd’s honesty that keeps her on her toes during her training camp.

Buntan is set to face Smilla Sundell at ONE: Eersel vs. Sadikovic, which will be broadcast live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Friday, April 22. It's a battle between undefeated strawweight stars for the inaugural ONE women's strawweight Muay Thai world title.

In a recent interview with ONE Championship, Buntan said that Todd will not hesitate to tell her if she becomes complacent in her preparations for the title match:

“When she knows I'm not doing something correctly as in terms of like, maybe we both don't have a fight and we're training, you kind of get away with being a little lackadaisical. But it's funny to say that when she catches me slipping then she'll tell me, right. Which is what I want, I want an honest partner, that's how you get better.”

Jackie Buntan went a perfect 3-0 in 2021 taking down Wondergirl Jaroonsak, Ekaterina Vandaryeva, and Daniela Lopez. Sundell, meanwhile, has had just one fight in ONE. It was her debut in February where she scored a spectacular third-round knockout win against Diandra Martin.

For the 24-year-old Jackie Buntan, claiming the title at ONE: Eersel vs. Sadikovic would be a testament to all the hard work she’s put in the sport. Buntan was just 11 years old when she began in Muay Thai, and taking the new ONE Championship belt would be the start of her legacy:

“Ever since I started Muay Thai as a young girl, I was 11 years old, like it's 13 years in the making, it just shows, it will really prove to me that with all the hard work and doubt and self-belief, all the ups and downs, I stay true to what I want and stay true to myself. And this is one little layer to prove to myself that I'm in the right direction, you know, it's a good start to it.”

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Jackie Buntan ready to add another belt to Boxing Works’ walls

Todd’s ONE atomweight kickboxing world title remains Boxing Works’ crowning achievement since February 2020. A couple of years on, Jackie Buntan plans to add her own strap on the gym’s wall.

The only difference is that Buntan could be bringing home ONE Championship’s new gold belt design.

Todd’s belt is still using the promotion’s old design, while the one that Buntan and Sundell will fight for on April 22 is ONE Championship’s new 26.4-pound gold strap.

Jackie Buntan said that winning the ONE women’s strawweight Muay Thai world championship would be her way of thanking longtime coach Bryan Popejoy for all the help he’s given her:

“Oh, man, it brings so much pride and honor to bring back a second ONE Championship belt to Boxing [Works] and to Bryan nonetheless, you know. And it's not really just to have the name and title of Boxing Works attached to ONE Championship, it’s just like giving it to Bryan and showing him gratitude. Like all the years of belief and work that he's put into me. Like, this is it, this is why he's kept going with me. So it'd be a real honor, a real treat to bring this home for him.”