“Letting the cards play as it goes” - Jackie Buntan not rushing into world title shot at the moment

Boxing Works star Jackie Buntan is gunning for another shot at ONE Championship gold, but she’s not interested in rushing her way to the top.

After taking the majority of 2023 off, Buntan returns to Bangkok’s iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium for a high-stakes clash with ‘The Italian Queen’ Martine Micheieletto at ONE Fight Night 20 on Prime Video. With back-to-back wins against Amber Kitchen and Diandra Martin already in the bag, a third straight win could land Buntan a shot at ONE strawweight Muay Thai champion Smilla Sundell.

It’s something that the U.S.-based striker would certainly welcome, but she’s more than willing to sit back, relax, and let the chips fall where they may.

During a recent interaction with Sportskeeda MMA, Buntan said:

“I definitely want it, that's for sure. I'm just kind of letting the cards play as it goes, you know?”

Buntan is an impressive 5-1 in her ONE Championship career with wins over the likes of Nat ‘Wondergirl’ Jaroonsak, Ekaterina Vandaryeva, and Daniela Lopez.

Martine Michieletto is ready to prove her worth against Jackie Buntan

Though relatively unknown in the world of combat sports, Martine Michieletto is an impressively experienced athlete with 48 career wins, including a solid performance against Amber Kitchen in her ONE Championship debut in June 2023.

Throughout her near decade-long career, ‘The Italian Queen’ has won world titles under ISKA, the World Kickboxing and Karate Union, and the World Muaythai Federation banners with four combined title defenses.

Will Michieletto solidify herself as a top contender in the stacked strawweight division, or will Jackie Buntan continue climbing the rankings and move one step closer to a rematch with Smilla Sundell?

Amazon Prime Video subscribers in North America can catch all the action at ONE Fight Night 20 live and for free in U.S. primetime on March 8.