Reigning ONE Women’s Strawweight Kickboxing World Champion Jackie Buntan is ready to defend her gold against Austrian rival Stella Hemetsberger in the main event of ONE Fight Night 40, which goes down in U.S. primetime from Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium on Friday, February 13.
The 28-year-old Filipino-American is looking to even the score after falling to Hemetsberger in their ONE Women’s Strawweight Muay Thai World Title fight last September.
Jackie Buntan brings a 27-7 record into her first title defense after capturing inaugural kickboxing gold with a November 2024 victory over the legendary Anissa Meksen. The 27-year-old Austrian challenger carries a 9-1 record into the tilt, having made her promotional debut in 2024 and capturing the vacant Muay Thai crown to become Austria’s first-ever ONE world champion.
Jackie Buntan Analyzes Narrow Muay Thai Defeat Ahead of ONE Fight Night 40
Image Courtesy of ONE Championship.
Reflecting on their 2025 clash for the vacant ONE Women’s Strawweight Muay Thai World Championship, Jackie Buntan discussed the disappointment of falling short in her pursuit of two-sport glory. The kickboxing queen admitted losing by a single point despite believing she won the better exchanges throughout their five-round battle.
“That night was a big night for me – obviously, trying to chase double gold, two-sport World Champ status. It didn’t go my way. I lost the fight by a point. I think I had the better exchanges, but on the scorecards, mathematically, she was the one who was able to pick it up,” the Californian stated.
The September loss marked Jackie Buntan’s second promotional setback across nine appearances. Her 7-2 promotional slate includes impressive victories over accomplished strikers including Nat Jaroonsak, Ekaterina Vandaryeva, Amber Kitchen, and Meksen, establishing her credentials among strawweight striking’s most decorated competitors.
Kickboxing Queen Jackie Buntan’s Resilience Shines After Early Knockdowns
After suffering two first-round knockdowns in their initial encounter, Jackie Buntan showed a warrior’s heart by rallying in the final four stanzas of the contest. The 28-year-old framed her recovery as embodying her competitive identity and refusal to surrender despite adversity.
“That specific loss, especially how it happened – getting knocked down twice in the first round but staying in it and picking it up in rounds two through five – I think that’s the definition of me as a fighter, as an athlete. There’s no quit in me,” Buntan said.
The rematch provides Buntan an opportunity to prove her narrow Muay Thai defeat was rule-specific rather than indicative of overall inferiority. A successful title defense would validate her kickboxing supremacy while positioning her for another Muay Thai title shot if she can convince the Austrian to accept a trilogy bout under Muay Thai rules.
Champion Identifies Defensive Vulnerabilities in Austrian’s Technique
Analyzing their upcoming kickboxing rematch, Buntan revealed specific defensive holes she has identified in Hemetsberger’s striking game. The Filipino-American expressed confidence in her superior footwork and ability to exploit those vulnerabilities through movement and angle-cutting.
“I think she has holes. I see the holes she leaves open as she strikes, both punching and kicking. I think I’m better with movement. I’m able to cut her off, whether that’s going backwards, left, right, circling, or going forward. If she wants to stand in front of me, I think it’s a dangerous game,” Buntan said.
Hemetsberger seeks champ-champ status by adding kickboxing gold to her Muay Thai crown. The Austrian’s pursuit of two-division dominance creates a compelling storyline, as both fighters chase the same goal that motivated their initial September encounter.
ONE Fight Night 40 airs live on Prime Video on Friday, February 13. The action begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The event is free for all Amazon Prime subscribers in the U.S. and Canada.