Jackie Buntan makes mark in ONE Championship debut

Filipina-American striker Jackie Buntan vowed to leave an impression in her ONE Championship debut, and she certainly kept her promise. 

Buntan scored a dominant unanimous decision win over the highly-touted Wondergirl Fairtex at the ONE: Fists of Fury on Friday, February 26, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. 

The Boxing Works product remained a step quicker than her Thai foe, landing combination after combination, throwing her opponent off guard. 

The highlight of the bout came near the end of the first round, when Buntan landed a left hook that sent Wondergirl to the canvas. And while the Fairtex star was able to beat the referee’s count, it seemed she never fully recovered.

“My speed and my timing and my feints definitely gave her trouble. The more shots I landed on her, I physically saw I was hurting her. So I knew I had to throw these hands throughout the whole fight and it worked out,” Buntan said. 

“I was definitely viewed as an underdog heading into this fight, which is totally fine. It doesn’t hurt my feelings at all, but I put my name out there and people know who I am now, so I’m excited to get in there again.”

Buntan admitted to feeling some nerves entering this bout, especially making her debut in ONE Super Series, the grandest stage for strikers. 

But as soon as the opening bell rang, she showed little signs of it. 

“I feel like every fight I have jitters, and this time I definitely had it with ONE being such a big company,” she said.

“And since I was here for Janet (Todd’s) first fight, I was able to see all the media, the lights, the cameras, and of course, a huge audience, so I knew what to expect coming into it – that definitely helped out.”

“It was so surreal, going from the warmup room up to my marker to make my walkout. It was just so quick. I was like, ‘Oh my God, I’m not ready for this,’ but once I got in the cage and we touched gloves, time slowed down and I felt like I was in that slow state and it felt like home.”

With a performance like that, Buntan certainly grew her fanbase in the Philippines, a country known for its passionate followers. 

“I literally feel like I have a whole nation rooting for me back at home. I felt that with me, and I took it to the cage tonight. I can’t thank everybody enough for all the love and support,” she said. 

“To all my Filipino supporters, mahal kita (I love you all), and hopefully I’ll be able to fight in Manila when all this craziness goes away.” – Rappler.com