The 27-year-old is set to meet decorated striking Anissa Meksen to contest the inaugural ONE women’s strawweight kickboxing world title at ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug, on Saturday, November 9 at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok.
Buntan has continuously exhibited her talents across ONE’s Muay Thai ranks, going 6-1 in her three-year tenure. Though she readily admits her upcoming battle will be fought under a rule set that isn’t exactly her bread and butter, the scrappy strawweight plans to shock all doubters by taking out her highly decorated foe next month.
“On paper, I’m the underdog. It’s my first kickboxing fight. She [Meksen] has more than double the experience. She’s a multiple-time world champion,” Buntan analysed.
“So, for me, it just reminds me of going into my first fight with Wondergirl. I was a big underdog, odds stacked against me, and that’s my motivation – just go out there and showcase a new style every time I fight.”
ONE 169 might be Buntan’s first time fighting for gold in the big gloves, but it won’t be her first World Title in ONE Championship.
That came against at ONE 156 in April 2022, where she contested the inaugural ONE women’s strawweight Muay Thai world title with Smilla Sundell.
The Boxing Works brawler lost out by unanimous decision that evening, but she responded to the defeat in emphatic fashion by amassing a three-fight winning streak against some notable competition.
With her confidence at an all-time high, Buntan sees her battle with Meksen on November 9 as a second opportunity for her to make a first impression.
“It would mean the world. Absolutely everything. You know, it’s the reason why I do this. There’s more to it, but that’s obviously the end goal, you want to work towards something that solidifies your greatness, that solidifies your name in the sport,” she said.
“This is a second chance. But every fight, whether it’s a belt or if it’s just three rounds, I always think of it as a new opportunity. It’s a new fight. It’s just as important if it’s a three-round fight. It’s just as important as if it were a five-round fight for a belt.”
