WITHOUT LIMITS

Filipino-American world kickboxing champion JACKIE BUNTAN is a fighter for a new generation.

- CAROL RH MALASIG

Jackie Buntan steps into the ring with the same quiet confidence she carries in everyday life. Her presence is magnetic, void of the bravado-driven energy often associated with fighters. Instead, it’s a confidence that’s steady, assured, and deeply rooted, one that makes you want to lean in, to understand the depth behind her calm.

At just 27, the Filipino-American kickboxer has already made history. She took on France's Anissa Meksen, one of the sport's most seasoned fighters and emerged victorious, claiming the inaugural ONE Women's Strawweight Kickboxing World Championship at ONE 169. “I was nervous signing the contract,” Buntan admits. “She's a legend with 100 fights under her belt, and I have about 30 which means she has more than triple my experience.”

But nerves didn’t define her. As she prepared for the biggest fight of her career, something shifted. “My mindset was extremely different. It was less of, ‘Oh, this is a tall order,’ and more of, ‘I deserve this chance, and I deserve an opponent like her.’” On fight night, she was ready. “During warm-up, my coach and my agent were on edge, and I was all smiles. They kept asking if I was okay.”

For Buntan, the fight became more about embracing the moment. And that night, in what she calls her “perfect Cinderella story,” she walked away with the title.

But getting here wasn't easy. Buntan had to endure setbacks, fight for her dreams, and more than anything, prove to herself that success is about trusting the timing of her own journey.

Born in Los Angeles, Buntan grew up in a family of Filipino immigrants who worked tirelessly to build a life in the U.S. “I have three older sisters. Along with my parents, they were really trying to adjust to the American lifestyle,” she shares. “We still had Filipino traditions and values, but my mom, along with work, tried speaking English a lot, just so she could practice.”