ONE Championship 156: Jackie Buntan ‘in a great head space’ ahead of Muay Thai title fight with ‘aggressive’ Smilla Sundell
- Buntan will battle Sundell for inaugural strawweight Muay Thai belt at Friday’s event in Singapore
- American will have experience advantage, but believes skill and fight IQ will be ‘the main difference’ in the match-up
This Friday, in the co-headlining attraction of the ONE Championship 156 event in Singapore, Jackie Buntan will battle Smilla Sundell for the Asian martial arts promotion’s inaugural strawweight Muay Thai title.
It is the biggest fight of her career to date, but if she is feeling the pressure, she is doing a good job of hiding it.
“I’m feeling really good,” the Filipino-American star told ONE Championship ahead of the event. “I’m in a great head space. I feel calm, relaxed. I’m ready to go.”
It would be easy to attribute Buntan’s coolness to the experience advantage she will have in her fight with Sundell.
At 23 years old, she is six years the senior of her 17-year-old foe. She has also fought and won three times in ONE, defeating Wondergirl Fairtex, Ekaterina Vandaryeva, and Daniela Lopez by decision, whereas Sundell has won just once in the promotion, with a knockout of Diandra Martin.
Yet Buntan speaks as though placing too much emphasis on her experience advantage downplays her other strengths.
“[I have more] experience yes, but I’m confident in my skill set,” she said. “I’m confident in my fight IQ and I think that’s going to be the main difference.”