“Losing sucks” – Jackie Buntan addresses loss to Smilla Sundell, claims she's grown from defeat

Jackie Buntan is set to return at ONE Fight Night 20 for her seventh contest under the ONE Championship banner. Through her impressive run in the striking division of the promotion, she has suffered just one setback that came back at ONE 156 in 2022.

Buntan met young striking prodigy Smilla Sundell in an inaugural title fight where the prospect emerged victorious via a unanimous decision. Securing a rematch is something that she has spoken about a lot since that fight. But that doesn’t mean she can’t look back on the experience and take positive lessons away from it.

In a fight week interview with the South China Morning Post, Jackie Buntan said that losing to Sundell two years ago was a tough result to take but it made her into the competitor she is today:

“I took so much away from that loss against Smilla, you know. Of course, losing sucks, especially losing a world title. It’s honestly devastating, heartbreaking. But there's, you know, I said it before, there's no growth without defeat.”

Watch the full interview below:

Jackie Buntan can secure a shot at redemption with a win on March 8

Since her loss to Sundell in 2022, Jackie Buntan has been attempting to build a winning streak to secure a second shot at the strawweight world champion.

Her wins over Amber Kitchen and Diandra Martin showcased her ability to bounce back, and had it not been for some issues outside of the cage, Buntan would have already had her rematch after the two women were scheduled for ONE Fight Night 14.

In her return fight inside the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium on March 8 against Martine Michieletto, she knows that getting another win under her belt will surely set her up for the rematch that has been just out of reach.

ONE Fight Night 20 will air live and free in U.S. primetime for North American viewers with an active Prime Video subscription this Friday.