“She's a super nice girl” - Jackie Buntan harbors no ill will toward upcoming foe Stella Hemetsberger

Reigning and undisputed ONE women’s strawweight kickboxing world champion Jackie Buntan of the United States and the Philippines has expressed genuine respect for tough Austrian challenger Stella Hemetsberger ahead of their world title fight this weekend.

The 28-year-old is getting ready to face Hemetsberger for the vacant ONE women’s strawweight Muay Thai world title at ONE Fight Night 35 on Prime Video, and she believes the Austrian is without a doubt a worthy opponent.

Speaking to South China Morning Post in a recent interview, Buntan shared her thoughts on Hemetsberger:

"I've heard of Stella because I know her gym, big fan of her gym, you know, great athletes over there. She's a super nice girl, too. She's definitely worked her way up to the contract, and I think it made sense to have her as an opponent for this fight."

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Check out the full interview below:

Needless to say, Buntan is coming into this fight ready and fully prepared for war. If she wins, she makes history as a rare multi-sport world champion in the world’s largest martial arts organization.

Fans won’t have to wait long to see Jackie Buntan back in action.

Jackie Buntan gunning for history at ONE Fight Night 35 on Prime Video

This weekend, Jackie Buntan will shoot her shot at becoming a two-sport ONE world champion when she goes to war with Stella Hemetsberger for the vacant ONE women’s strawweight Muay Thai world championship.

Buntan and Hemetsberger throw down in the main event at ONE Fight Night 35: Buntan vs. Hemetsberger on Prime Video, which is set to broadcast live in U.S. primetime on Friday, Sept. 5, from the iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action live and absolutely free with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.

About the author

Dan is an MMA writer with 10+ years of overall experience. Before his ongoing tenure at Sportskeeda, Dan got the opportunity to be at the forefront of the sport by contributing to ONE Championship and Fight Game Asia. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology.

Dan’s connection to MMA started during the early days of the UFC and ONE Championship. He previously practiced boxing and ranks Demetrious Johnson, Anderson Silva, Georges St-Pierre, Jon Jones, and Fedor Emelianenko as the top five MMA fighters of all time.

He has covered several events onsite and on the ground for ONE Championship and hopes to continue doing so. He ensures that he churns out accurate articles by citing only legitimate sources and getting firsthand accounts through exclusive interviews whenever required.

Dan feels MMA fighter pay seems like an issue because it often gets compared to what fighters earn in boxing but that MMA will eventually catch up in the future.

His other interests include soccer and video games.

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Edited by Aziel Karthak