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After winning her first 26 pounds of ONE Championship gold, Jackie Buntan hopes to defend her title in the Philippines.
Buntan bagged the biggest win of her career at ONE 169 in Bangkok, earning a unanimous decision victory over seven-time titleholder Anissa Meksen to claim the inaugural ONE strawweight kickboxing world title.
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ONE Championship has not yet announced who will be the first to challenge Buntan for her kickboxing crown, but if the Boxing Works star gets her wish, she'll get to defend her belt in the Philippines — a country she's been chomping at the bit to return to since 2022.
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"Oh, 100% when I was able to fight there in 2022 the energy was insane," Buntan told Combat Sports today. "Insane. So Manila, California specifically, or the U.S. in general, those would be the places to compete at."
The last time Buntan competed in the Philippines, she earned a hard-fought victory over Amber Kitchen inside the Mall of Asia Arena in Manilla at ONE on Prime Video 5.
Jackie Buntan reveals the secret to her success against Anissa Meksen
Jackie Buntan's victory over Anissa Meksen was especially impressive when you consider the fact that it was her first time competing in kickboxing under the ONE Championship banner.
Offering some insight into her preparation for the scrap with Meksen in eight-ounce gloves, Buntan said:
"We worked enhancing my boxing arsenal; getting inside, smothering, and head movement religiously for months until it came naturally to me. It’s always a cool feeling to add new tools to your game and have it come out freely without any thought. I always strive to be better and showcase new skills every time I step in there… forever learning!"
With Buntan's first world title win in the books, who will she defend her belt against when she returns to the Circle in 2025?
If you missed any of the action, ONE Championship fans in the United States and Canada can watch the ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug replay on demand via Amazon Prime Video.
