Jackie Buntan kickboxing: "This is the year to do so" - Muay Thai phenom Jackie Buntan believes now's the perfect time to jump to kickboxing

Muay Thai fighters crossing over to the world of kickboxing and vice versa is extremely common due to how similar both disciplines are, and Jackie Buntan might be the next athlete to make the lateral jump.

The ONE Championship Muay Thai star was one of the most sought-after competitors in the regional scene after posting 20 wins in 25 contests. Her move to ONE Championship was met with instant success to the tune of three straight victories.

Buntan would sadly fail in her attempt to become the inaugural ONE women's strawweight Muay Thai world champion against Smilla Sundell but bounced back spectacularly with another three-fight winning streak, featuring her first-ever knockout.

The Boxing Works star capped off that streak with a hard-fought unanimous decision performance against Martine Michieletto at ONE Fight Night 20.

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Looking ahead to her future, Buntan posted her desire to try her hand at kickboxing via Instagram and said the following:

"That's 3 in a row now ✅📈 I've always expressed my interest to get into the Kickboxing circuit and I feel like this is the year to do so ⭐ Who wants to see me in a kickboxing fight?"

Jackie Buntan gives mentor her flowers

In the main event of ONE Fight Night 20, Buntan's fellow Boxing Works fighter and kickboxing icon Janet Todd wanted to retire on top of the world by defeating Phetjeeja for the undisputed ONE atomweight kickboxing world title.

However, 'JT' failed in her bid and stayed true to her decision to retire whether she won or lost.

Days after the event, Buntan waxed, reminiscent of her time with Todd via Instagram, and how instrumental she was in her own burgeoning combat sports career.

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.

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Edited by C. Nayak