For Jackie Buntan, the weight of carrying Filipino pride into battle feels both familiar and extraordinary. The reigning ONE Women’s Strawweight Kickboxing World Champion has never shied away from embracing her Filipino-American identity, wearing it as both armor and inspiration as she prepares for the biggest fight of her career.
At ONE Fight Night 35 on Prime Video on September 6, Buntan will step into Bangkok’s iconic Lumpinee Stadium carrying more than just personal ambitions.
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She’ll bear the hopes and dreams of an entire nation as she takes on Austria’s Stella Hemetsberger for the vacant ONE Women’s Strawweight Muay Thai World Title.
Victory would make the 28-year-old Boxing Works product a rare two-sport ONE World Champion. More importantly to Buntan, it would solidify her place among the elite Filipino fighters who have elevated their homeland’s status in combat sports.
Buntan said:
“Being a Filipino-American fighter means the world to me, especially representing it on the biggest stage, ONE Championship, and being a woman at that,” Buntan reflected. “There are a lot of Filipino athletes, and there are a select few that make it onto a grand stage like that. I’m lucky and blessed to be one of them.
“I pride myself on authenticity and relatability, and I think if anyone can find any sort of relatability in my story, then that’s a win for me. So, yeah, it means the world.”
Buntan has become a beacon for Filipino-Americans navigating their own paths while honoring their cultural heritage.
Her upcoming title fight represents a full-circle moment in her martial arts journey.
Having started in Muay Thai before claiming kickboxing gold by defeating legendary veteran Anissa Meksen last November, she now returns to her roots with championship stakes higher than ever.
Buntan has consistently overcome adversity throughout her career, relying on technical precision and an unbreakable fighting spirit that she credits to her Filipino roots.
“I’m just doing what I want to do. I haven’t forced anything in my career. And just by simply doing what I believed to be right, fun, and correct in my life,” Buntan explained.
“These opportunities opened up, and being a Filipino representing that, it just means the world to me. So, it’s a bit of both. It’s an honor, but it also almost feels surreal because I’m living my normal life.”
Buntan Pays Homage To The Philippines’ MMA World Champions
Buntan’s pursuit of two-sport glory comes at a historic time for Filipino combat sports.
Leading this new wave is Denice Zamboanga, who made history earlier this year by becoming the first Filipina to capture an MMA world title.
Alongside the atomweight queen stands Joshua Pacio, the reigning ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion, who unified his crown against rival Jarred Brooks.
These active champions carry forward the legacy established by legends like former heavyweight MMA king Brandon Vera and the iconic former ONE Lightweight MMA World Champion Eduard Folayang.
For Buntan, being mentioned among such elite company feels both humbling and motivating.
“It’s a new movement, a new generation coming, especially with me and Denice [Zamboanga] being women. It was Brandon Vera, frickin’ legend, and pretty much all the Team Lakay boys,” Buntan shared.
“Before I was signed to ONE, those were the Filipinos I knew that were in ONE Championship, and now to be able to be part of that and have another woman like Denice and people like Joshua [Pacio] and Eduard [Folayang] are still here, I think it’s amazing.”
This success stems from something deeper than technical skill or athletic ability. According to Buntan, there’s an innate quality that makes Filipinos natural fighters, a cultural DNA that translates perfectly to the demands of combat sports.
“I think it just shows that Filipinos have solidified their spot in combat sports, and I think we’re just getting better and better and getting more attention on the sport,” Buntan continued.
“If you’re Filipino, you have heart, you have grit, that I know for sure. Whatever we put our mind to, we’re gonna get it done. And if there are hard moments in between, that does not faze us. So, I think that is the perfect complement to the world of athletics, especially combat sports. That’s something I know I bring every time, being a Filipina, especially being a Filipina-American.”
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