Jackie Buntan has been spinning her wheels for a year and a half since signing with ONE Championship. Now the Filipino-American Muay Thai star will finally get to throw down in the Circle come Friday night.
The 23-year-old is being thrown straight in at the deep end against Thai prodigy Wondergirl Fairtex at ONE: Fists of Fury in Singapore on February 26.
And there’s sure to be a huge release of emotion, after she was supposed to make her debut in September 2019 only for it to be cancelled, and then seeing another match in March 2020 scratched because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s not much of a frustration, more just anticipation, eagerness to just get back and fight and compete again, really,” Buntan told SCMP MMA last week before flying to Asia. “It’s been like a year and a half since I last fought.
“There’s a mix of feelings going into this camp, having not fought for so long, But I just have to remember during that hiatus I wasn’t just sitting around.
“I was in the gym, still trying to stay as consistent as I can, bettering my skill set, my craft, my [fight] IQ. I definitely have a lot more tools in my arsenal coming into this fight.”
ONE Championship ‘Wondergirl’ wants Muay Thai title, then MMA move
Buntan also has the benefit of training with ONE atomweight kick-boxing champ Janet Todd at Boxing Works in California, under the tutelage of coach Brian Popejoy.
“Having Janet as my training partner every day is a huge help – it’s like the term, ‘Iron sharpens iron’,” she said.
The 21-year-old Wondergirl announced herself on the ONE stage last summer with two quick finishes, and she is the favourite going into the fight.
“Her fights lasted pretty short. From what I saw she obviously has a Thai style, coming from Fairtex gym,” Buntan said. “I think I have a Thai style too, but the good thing about my coach is he can pick different techniques that don’t only come from Muay Thai.
“It could be boxing or kick-boxing, so we integrate that as well, anything from footwork or head movement, to feints. Her last two fights were pretty similar, coming in with her hands a lot. ”
Being the underdog suits Buntan just fine, however.
“It gives me a little bit of motivation,” she said. “I don’t really let it get to me as much. I know it’s a bigger stage, a lot more eyes on me than the competitions I’m used to here in LA.
“We compete in a casino hotel and there’s probably 200 people in the audience. It’s a big jump indeed. But I’m ready to show the world who I am and what I can do.”
Todd’s stunning win to the claim her title from Stamp Fairtex – a training partner of Wondergirl’s in Pattaya – a year ago in Singapore has certainly inspired Buntan, and left her dreaming of similar glory.
“When I was watching it back at home I was just so excited for her,” Buntan said. “I knew she was gonna win that belt but just in real time seeing it happen and being part of her camp and training with her to achieve that goal, was just really cool. It made me realise if my friend, my training partner back at home can achieve this, I can achieve it as well.
“With Wondergirl pushing the pace, there’s a couple other girls who have competed in the strawweight division. It would probably be four or five fights before I competed for that title shot.
“Where my head space is right now, I have this fight to worry about, so there’s no rush. But my eyes are for sure on that title.”
