Watch: Smilla Sundell and Jackie Buntan face off interview for ONE Championship 156

The story of the co-main event of ONE Championship 156: Eersel vs. Sadikovic is an interesting one. It's a battle between two of the top strawweight Muay Thai fighters today. The bout will determine the first-ever ONE women's strawweight Muay Thai champion.

One half of the co-headlining fight is Smilla 'The Hurricane' Sundell, who is vying for her first world title at the young age of 17. If she wins, she'll become the youngest ONE champion ever. Across from her will be the streaking Jackie Buntan, who has won three fights in a row in the Singapore based promotion.

In a face-off interview released by ONE Championship, the pair were in each other's presence for the first time, albeit in separate rooms. The interview touched on a lot of things, including pre-fight nerves and what this bout meant to each of the competitors.

Watch the full interview below :

One of the more telling moments in the interview was when Sundell, who took up Muay Thai a few years back, was asked if she was overwhelmed by the magnitude of this rare opportunity. The 17-year-old Swedish said:

"Yeah, I think I'm overwhelmed. And I'm very excited and I don't know. I don't think I know how big this could actually be [laughs]."

When asked what the bright lights of the world stage feel for someone who is still a teenager, Sundell had this to say:

"It feels alright. I feel a little bit of pressure but it's okay. I think it's good."

These candid sentiments say a lot about the mindset of 'The Hurricane' coming into this monumental bout. The words "overwhelmed", "I don't know" and "I feel pressure" aren't the kind of verbiage we typically hear from confident fighters about to embark on a title fight.

It could be pre-fight jitters or just the innocent ramblings of a teenager. Regardless, fans will find out what both fighters are made of once locked inside the circle.

---

ONE Championship strawweight Jackie Buntan thinks Smilla Sundell's forward aggression is a disadvantage

When asked what she thinks of Sundell's fighting style, the mild-mannered Buntan had a few candid words to say:

"Smilla [Sundell] has a good style. She has, you know, the classic Thai style. Fairtex style. The only thing that kinda stands out from her teammates and that stood out from her last fight is her forward pressure. She's an aggressive fighter."

Asked if this aggression would work to Sundell's advantage or disadvantage, Buntan coldly said:

"Disadvantage"

Buntan has produced some of the most impressive highlight-reel moments by acting as a matador against aggressive and forward-moving opponents. Her stunning knockdown of Wondergirl Fairtex was the perfect example of a check-hook landing against an opponent blitzing forward.

Whether or not she can employ such strikes against Sundell remains to be seen. Be sure to tune in tonight.