ONE Championship She showed off her martial arts muscles in her US debut earlier this month. The organization gave the American public a taste of Muay Thai in four-ounce gloves. One of the main athletes providing flavor was a Californian Jackie Pontan.
Buntan opened the main card at Prime Video with an impressive TKO victory in the first round Diandra Martin. The Boxing Works star pushed the pace and quickly broke down her opponent. For Pontan, it was only the second time in her career that she felt everything came together perfectly.
“The athletes go through this feeling of competition where they’re in the zone, in the flow, where everything is just on autopilot. It’s like you don’t even think. And I definitely experienced that from the start of the Tour, and that was pretty cool because this was the second time that I tested it.” Buntan told ONE.
The end marked Buntan’s first knockdown in a single game. While waiting for that end can be frustrating, the Southern Californian never wanted to force the issue. She knew she always had the strength and simply needed to let the hard work pay off inside the circle.
“I know my hands, my strength and everything they can do. It was just a matter of time and repeating the perfect position in terms of punching and getting strength back. All the years of hard work and repetitions in one quick second. It was the best feeling ever,” said Pontan.
The quick win gave her back-to-back wins and put her right behind at the top of the straw-click standings. With the Swedish star Smila Sundel After taking over the top, Pontan wants revenge on the only woman who lost her profession. But she hopes that will come after she gets another title.
Just like her Boxing Works teammate, Janet ToddPontan wants two sports glory. In her post-match interview, the American stated that she wanted to deal with the world of kickboxing as well. If you can get your gold there, this is when you’d rather mix it up with Sundell for your Muay Thai belt.
“I want to become a two-sport world champion in Muay Thai and kickboxing. Obviously, I did a Muay Thai fight last year. It didn’t go my way. That’s still on the horizon. But right now, I really think I’m the number one contender for both,” Pontan said.
Pontan finished his silence. She explains why she is attacking the kickboxing world next. The sharp wheel gets the grease, as the saying goes.
“In terms of kickboxing, why do I want to do it first, and why do I want to do it now? It’s because I’m greedy, and nobody has it yet. And I want to be the first to get it in exchange for taking my time and keeping quiet about it.”