"There's going to be holes and I'm going to find those holes" - Jackie Buntan plans to take Smilla Sundell to school

Jackie Buntan plans to carry momentum from a stellar 2021 into a potential title-winning year. To do that, she must first dispatch teenage phenom Smilla Sundell.

The two will square off in the co-main event of ONE: Reloaded, which will be broadcast live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Friday, April 22. The fight will be for the inaugural ONE women’s strawweight Muay Thai world title. Buntan can’t wait to carry her form into the clash, believing she can roll over her opponent.

The Filipino-American went a perfect 3-0 in ONE Championship last year. This impressive winning streak set her up against Sundell for the belt.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Buntan said the 17-year-old Sundell’s style is too reckless. She believes that this type of offense will put her opponent in a difficult situation come fight night.

Jackie Buntan said:

“I’ll just say, with that come-forward, aggression type of style, it’s a careless type of style. There’s going to be holes and I’m going to find those holes, basically. I’m more than ready for that pressure. I know she’s going to come in with it, so she can come run at me… I really do believe I’m able to find the holes and run her into things that’ll hurt her, and hopefully put the brakes on her.”

The Boxing Works striker dispatched Wondergirl, Ekaterina Vandaryeva and Daniela Lopez on her path to the title match. Sundell, meanwhile, dominated Diandra Martin and scored a spectacular third-round knockout victory in her debut fight in ONE Championship.

Jackie Buntan believes that her experience will carry her to victory over Sundell in their title match.

“I’ll say she’s good enough to be fighting in ONE Championship, but I really believe I’m levels ahead of her in technicality, intelligence, speed, power, and all that. I’m really confident she hasn’t dealt with anyone like me before. I think I’m going to run her into heavy and very damaging shots. Find the holes in that reckless, careless style of hers, coming in aggressively."

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Jackie Buntan's training with Janet Todd could spell difference

Jackie Buntan’s experience isn’t just confined to the circle. Her daily routine sees her trading shots with ONE atomweight kickboxing world champion Janet Todd.

The two are training partners at Boxing Works and Buntan thinks this daily grind could eventually prove to be instumental for her against Sundell.

With all the work she has put in, Buntan said she was beyond ecstatic when she discovered she would be fighting for the ONE women’s strawweight Muay Thai world title.

“I was super active all of last year, and I was able to put things into realization, like, ‘Wow, within just one year, I was able to do it. I’m the one who made this opportunity for myself.’ So it just put a lot of things in perspective, and I had a lot of gratitude when I was offered that bout.”

Tune into ONE: Reloaded on April 22 to see if Buntan can make her title dreams become reality.