Muay Thai star Jackie Buntan was bruised and bloodied after her loss to Smilla Sundell on April 22 in Singapore – 10 days later, it is difficult to tell she was even in a fight. “All the damage was on my eyes,” The Filipino-American told the Post . “There was a lot of swelling and bruising that took maybe five days to go down, but I’m fine. I just have a little bit of bruising.” Buntan was in action in the co-headlining attraction of the ONE Championship 156 event, taking on 17-year-old Swede Smilla Sundell in the Asian martial arts promotion’s first strawweight Muay Thai title fight. Despite a gutsy effort, and some noteworthy success in the early going, she ultimately lost a decision to her Swedish rival. It was the first setback of her professional career, and a painful twist on her mission to become a world champion. The 24-year-old seems to have recovered mentally even faster than she has physically. “Losing’s always a nagging feeling,” she said. “It never sits well with anyone, but with anything really, I never tend to get too hard on myself and dwell on things – especially something of this magnitude. It was heartbreaking at first, but I’m able to get over losses fairly quickly. “I understand the bigger picture. I understand there’s lessons and growth with defeat. It is what it is. Back to the drawing board. Life goes on.” With her body and mind on the mend, Buntan is already thinking about a potential rematch with Sundell. And she is confident the sequel will go her way. ONE 156: Sundell, Buntan agree ‘we’ll meet again’ after brutal battle “I want that rematch,” she said. “It’s not a one-and-done type of thing for me.” “She’s a solid opponent,” she added. “Good technique. We knew she was strong. She has some weight behind her hands, that’s for sure. She’s a great opponent. I still believe I’m a more technical fighter than her.” Buntan recognises that she probably has some work to do to earn a second crack at Sundell, but she is willing to fight whomever ONE offers – under Muay Thai or kick-boxing rules. “Going into the promotion, I signed up for kick-boxing and Muay Thai,” she said. “Obviously I love Muay Thai, but I’m definitely open to kick-boxing as well, so whoever they want to give me, in either rule-set, Muay Thai or kick-boxing, I’m there for it. “I still believe I’m one of the top contenders in this division, so it’s just dependent on who they want to give [me] or who they sign.” Buntan is no pickier about the timing for her next fight than she is about her opponent, assuring that she’ll be ready to answer ONE’s call “whenever they want.” Needless to say, she has not been deterred by her loss to Sundell. “It was apparent that I have drive and heart, but especially after that fight, there’s really no quit in me,” she said.