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Jackie Buntan knew that in order to achieve something great, she must believe in herself first.
Such was the case for the 27-year-old striker, who entered as a massive underdog in her ONE 169 world title showdown with all-time great Anissa Meksen last Nov. 8.
Despite the odds against her, Buntan put on a performance of a lifetime for five grueling rounds and left Bangkok's Lumpinee Stadium as the inaugural women's strawweight kickboxing world champion.
Speaking to Mitch Chilson shortly after claiming 26 pounds of gold, the Filipina-American warrior said the secret was betting on herself when only a select few did.
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"I was confident the moment I came to Bangkok a week ago. I was confident this whole camp. I knew it was mine, I just had to solidify it. I just can’t believe it right now."
To be fair, Jackie Buntan and Anissa Meksen's back-and-forth striking masterpiece came down to the wire. Both combatants had their moments and it was a closely contested chess match from start to finish.
In the end, the high-stakes war came down to who was willing to dig deep and who wanted it more. Needless to say, Buntan rose to the occasion and can now proudly call herself a ONE world champion.
Jackie Buntan reflects on her long journey to reach the mountaintop
Nothing was given to Jackie Buntan. She had to earn every bit of success she had and had to grind non-stop to realize her ultimate dream.
Buntan certainly won 26 pounds of gold the hard way, going through an adversary as credentialed as Anissa Meksen.
The Boxing Works athlete wrote on Instagram shortly after the biggest win of her career:
"Sixteen years in the making and I'm the inaugural Women's ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Champion. A vision and dream I never gave up on. I knew it was already in my cards- I just had to trust in my own timing. Facing a legend in the game makes the victory that much sweeter."
The full replay of ONE 169: Malykhin vs Reug Reug is available on demand for Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.
