The ONE Women’s Strawweight Kickboxing World Champion defends her title against Stella Hemetsberger A Fighting Night 40 on Friday, February 13 at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Their September matchup at ONE Fight Night 35 ended with Hemetsberger capturing the vacant ONE Women’s Strawweight Muay Thai World Title. The Austrian dropped Buntan twice in the opening round with short counters that shifted the entire fight. Hemetsberger defeated the Filipino-American by unanimous decision, despite taking heavy penalties in the middle rounds.
The stakes are now reversed. Buntan holds the kickboxing title she won by beating Anissa Meksen in five rounds at ONE 169 last November. The 28-year-old California native has a 27-7 record in this defense. She also trained under Bryan Popejoy and retired ONE Championship legend Janet Todd, scoring victories over elite strikers.
Hemetsberger arrived via the ONE Friday Fights series and turned that opportunity into a coronation. Her professional record of 9-1 includes victory over Buntan in September. A second win would put her in rare territory. Only two women have captured world titles in multiple disciplines under the ONE Championship banner.
“As the reigning World Kickboxing Champion, it’s one thing to win a World Championship, but it means a lot more to be able to defend it and stay on top,” she said. “And every time I step into the ring, collecting belts doesn’t matter to me. It’s being great and striving for that and putting in a better performance every time.”
Jackie Buntan sees patience as the key difference
Buntan learned lessons about himself that night. The knockdowns proved that she could absorb the punishment and keep fighting. Her chin held steady. Her heart never wavered. She picked herself up twice and fought through five rounds, showing the grit that defines her as a fighter.
That insight gave a new shape to her preparation. Now the 28-year-old knows what mattered most in a five-round war. Forward pressure caused Hemetsberger problems. But impatience cost crucial moments. Those hasty exchanges that looked for big players instead of setting them up properly allowed the Austrian to land counters.
“That particular loss, especially how it happened, getting knocked down twice in the first round, but staying in it and picking it back up in rounds two through five, I think that’s the definition of me as a fighter, as an athlete,” she said. “There’s no quitting in me. There’s no quitting in my heart. I’m in it until the bell rings. If I did anything other than that fight, I’d be more patient.”
Kickboxing rules fundamentally change the rhythm and distance. Buntan now sees Hemetsberger’s game clearly in his mind. The stairs remain her greatest weapon. But the Boxing Works product found gaps in both her punches and kicks that created opportunities. Exercise gives Buntan advantages. She can cut the ring better whether she moves backwards, circles or presses forward.
“I can see myself breaking her down from the first round, making her doubt her skills, her game plan, her strategy, and just controlling it from there,” she said. “I know how to beat her. Last time I couldn’t execute it very well. It’s not based on emotions. It’s just knowing that I’m better than that, and it’s time to show that. Winning this fight means everything to my legacy.”
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