After a perfect, 3-0 start to her ONE Championship career, Filipina-American strawweight Jackie Buntan will soon have the opportunity to make history within the Asian martial arts promotion. On April 22, in the co-headlining attraction of the ONE: Reloaded event in Singapore, she will take on Sweden’s Smilla Sundell, with the winner being crowned the promotion’s inaugural strawweight Muay Thai champion. It is the kind of opportunity the 23-year-old has been dreaming of since the early days of her career. “I was so stoked [when I got the news],” she told the Post from California last week. “Not just obtaining the physical belt, but just knowing that I could get to this level and compete at this level. I was just ecstatic knowing that the promotion and [ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong] had belief in me to be a challenger for it.” In Sweden’s Sundell, Buntan will meet a 17-year-old wunderkind who has long been touted as a future champion. But despite all the hype associated with her opponent, Buntan is confident she has skills to get the job done. ONE: Kelly wants Lee grappling match after ‘emotional’ debut “She is a young fighter, she’s very tenacious, she has solid technique,” Buntan said of her opponent. “I’m just confident she hasn’t dealt or fought anyone with my style, my power, my speed. I really do believe she’s gonna be in for a big surprise when we meet in the Circle.” Winning the first-ever ONE strawweight Muay Thai title would be the culmination of years of hard work for Buntan – and a moment she expects to be quite emotional. “I honestly don’t even know [how it will feel],” she said. “It would be a flood of emotions. This isn’t something I visualised for just a two-month fight camp. This is since I was a little girl. [This is] years in the making, ever since I started like 13 years ago.” “I expect a flood of emotions. You might see me tear up, because I tear up thinking about it. I visualise it so damn much and I have for so long. It’s just crazy that I get the opportunity to make it happen.” Winning the ONE strawweight Muay Thai would be the crowning achievement of Buntan’s career, but don’t expect her to rest on her laurels. View this post on Instagram A post shared by ONE Championship (@onechampionship) Much like her long-time training partner Janet Todd, ONE’s reigning atomweight kick-boxing queen, she has her eyes on gold in a second sport as well. “I’d totally dabble in the strawweight kick-boxing division,” the Muay Thai star said. “That’s the goal. Same with Janet. She is trying to get the Muay Thai belt. She has [a kick-boxing title] now, and I’d love to follow in those same footsteps.”