“There's another woman standing across from me trying to take my head off” - Jackie Buntan talks about being scared in the ring

There’s a lot that goes through a fighter’s mind before stepping into the Circle. For Jackie Buntan, it has always been about calming the nerves and quelling her fears. The 24-year-old says stepping onto the battlefield with the right frame of mind is the secret to her success.

Buntan considers herself to be very reserved. She doesn’t like to trash talk her foes in the ring and doesn’t like to stir up drama. On the surface, she’s a little shy and timid.

However, once she enters the Circle, Buntan transforms into a hungry lion, ready to pounce on her prey.

In a recent interview with ONE Championship, Jackie Buntan spoke about her frame of mind before making her way down to battle.

“Obviously, I mean, the number one thing for me is getting hurt. You know, I hate losing. I don't like losing but I think I'm definitely more nervous, more scared of getting hurt, especially with the sport I'm in, you know. There's another woman standing across from me trying to take my head off, essentially. So that definitely gets me nervous. I still want to get in there and get hurt. And that's kind of like my main worry, really.”

If Buntan comes into her fights scared of her opponents, it certainly doesn’t show. The 24-year-old Filipino-American is 3-0 in ONE Super Series, and has looked phenomenal and precise in each outing.

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How does Jackie Buntan prepare herself mentally before walking to the Circle?

It’s different for every fighter. Some like to fire themselves up with angry music. Others like to meditate. Surprisingly enough, Jackie Buntan calms her nerves by sleeping in the locker room before her fights.

“Oh, man, I've had jokes about this with my coach and other people who have cornered me, outside of fighting, I'm a very, very chill laid back girl. And that definitely carries over to the fight... I just have my headphones in and I'm napping before I get out there and do my walkout. Probably 30 minutes before I'm about to walk out, that's when I just briefly warm-up. Nothing super crazy, just warm enough to get the muscles loose and a little bit of sweat going but it's on and off. I'm literally just listening to music and napping most of the time.”

This approach has obviously proven successful for the Redondo Beach, California native. It’s a formula that has put her at the top of the strawweight kickboxing heap in ONE Championship and established her as a force to be reckoned with.