“It was a tall order” - Strawweight kickboxing queen Jackie Buntan on making pro kickboxing debut in ONE

Newly crowned ONE women's strawweight kickboxing world champion Jackie Buntan of the United States and the Philippines is currently enjoying the holidays in the comfort of her own home in California.

But while sitting on the couch, telling her family tales of her adventures in the ONE Championship ring, Buntan can't help but recall her first fight in the world's largest martial arts organization.

The Filipina-American star made her ONE Championship debut at ONE: Fists of Fury in Feb. 2021. She fought highly regarded Thai star Nat 'Wondergirl' Jaroonsak in a three-round kickboxing fight.

Buntan ended up winning a unanimous decision, but more importantly, the Filipina-American showcased her skills and proved that she belonged with the best of them.

Speaking in a recent guest appearance on The Casuals MMA, Buntan recalled her ONE debut and said many people don't realize it was also her professional debut, which she still can't believe to this day.

Buntan said:

"The ONE Championship contract came, and then COVID came, so that delayed that whole thing for a year, which was no issue. I mean, things happen, but yeah, I turned pro at 23 years old. Like February 2021 was my first pro fight. It was a tall order, going pro on ONE Championship. That'd be your pro debut. But it was kind of like, seize the moment, seize opportunity, right? You're not gonna get it again."

Today, Buntan is one of the biggest stars in ONE Championship, with millions of fans from all over the world.

Jackie Buntan says family was against her becoming a fighter at first: "They hated it"

Coming from a traditional Asian household, becoming a fighter wasn't exactly on Jackie Buntan's bingo card growing up. But as fate would have it, she found her way to the martial arts gym and discovered the 'art of eight limbs'.

Buntan told The Casuals that her family had an adverse reaction to her fighting career initially.

She said:

"They hated it. They were so against it, especially my older sisters. But yeah, I did it anyway. And then it was just a full year of them kind of just doubting me because I was still an amateur. So I get it. They just want the best for me. And, you know, they they were all born in the Philippines. My mom too. So, like, “we came to America, and then you want to fight, like, what is this about? Like, you should finish college and be a nurse."