“Put things in perspective” - Jackie Buntan says winning ONE gold made her realize her lofty status in American Muay Thai

Jackie Buntan didn't realize it at first, but she eventually embraced the status she holds within the growing Muay Thai scene in the United States.

Upon capturing the inaugural ONE women's strawweight kickboxing world title, Buntan realized the standard she had set for herself and how the American Muay Thai circuit revered her level.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Buntan 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."

Jackie Buntan started hitting the pads at the famed Boxing Works Gym when she was in grade school, and that initial curiosity led to a passion for The Art of Eight Limbs.

In February 2021, Buntan ultimately arrived in the big leagues when she made her ONE Championship debut in Singapore.

Buntan strung together three straight wins and shot for the inaugural ONE women's strawweight Muay Thai world title in 2022, but fell to Smilla Sundell via unanimous decision.

Shaking off that bitter defeat, Buntan went on a rampage and collected four straight wins that culminated in her career-defining victory over the legendary Anissa Meksen for the inaugural ONE women's strawweight kickboxing world title at ONE 169.

There are no official announcements for Buntan's next match, but the strawweight kickboxing queen has been clamoring for a shot at two-sport supremacy in ONE Championship.

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Jackie Buntan says beating Anissa Meksen for her first ONE world title made the win even sweeter

Jackie Buntan couldn't have asked for a better opponent in her first world title triumph.

The 27-year-old from California took down arguably the best female striker of all time when she beat the legendary Anissa Meksen for the inaugural ONE women's strawweight kickboxing world title at ONE 169.

In the same interview with ONE Championship, Buntan noted the insane magnitude of beating the multi-time kickboxing world champion for her first world title.

She said:

"That fight was everything for me. I truly worked so hard in that camp, but the whole lead-up to it, ever since starting the sport, really. Of course I get the big dog, you know. I think some people might shy away from that, but that's what made the victory that much sweeter - beating an opponent like her."