Filipino-American Muay Thai fighter Jackie Buntan said she has no problem swinging to kickboxing in her upcoming fight, believing that the finishing abilities she has become known for should remain even with the bigger gloves.
The Boxing Works standout made this known in a conversation with Sportskeeda MMA. She touched on her bid for the inaugural ONE women's strawweight kickboxing world title at ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug on Nov. 8 in Thailand against veteran Algerian-French fighter Anissa Meksen, saying:
"I've always been confident in my power going into ONE Championship, I mean, I always relied on it. I know my power is always gonna be there."
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Under ONE Championship's global kickboxing rule set, 8-ounce gloves are used in matches as opposed to 4-ounce ones in Muay Thai.
ONE 169 is the first kickboxing match for Jackie Buntan in ONE Championship. Entering the contest, she is coming off her third straight victory back in March when she defeated Martine Michieletto of Italy by decision in their catchweight Muay Thai joust.
Meanwhile, her opponent, Meksen, makes another bid for a world title after falling short in her previous match last December when she vied for the interim atomweight kickboxing world title but lost to Thai sensation Phetjeeja by decision.
ONE 169 will go down at the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok and air live and for free in U.S. primetime to North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.
Jackie Buntan looks to do well in second shot at a ONE world title
California-based Jackie Buntan will make another go at a world title at ONE 169 on Nov. 8 and is looking to finally break through and add her name to the roster of ONE world champions.
The 27-year-old fighter guns for the inaugural women's kickboxing gold in her upcoming fight against Anissa Meksen after falling short in her quest for the atomweight Muay Thai belt in April 2022.
In an interview with Sportskeeda MMA, Buntan spoke about her latest title bid, including how she is approaching it, saying:
"On paper, yes, this is a second chance. But every fight, whether it's a belt or if it's just three rounds, I always think of it as a new opportunity. It's a new fight. It's just as important if it's a three-round fight. It's just as important as it were a five-round fight for a belt."
Jackie Buntan has been solid since making her promotional debut in February 2021, winning six of her seven matches to date.