A pivotal strawweight muay Thai battle will kick off the main card of “ONE Fight Night 10: Johnson vs. Moraes III” on Prime Video, and the stakes are high.
On May 5, former ONE women’s strawweight muay Thai world title challenger Jackie Buntan will face rising Australian star Diandra Martin at the 1STBANK Center in Colorado, the scene of ONE’s historic U.S. debut.
Both contenders have faced ONE women’s strawweight muay Thai world champion Smilla Sundell in the past, but neither was able to get the job done against the teenage phenom. However, each lady wants another crack at the division’s young queen.
Here are three reasons why the winner might just book themselves a world title rematch.
1. They will have earned their chance at revenge
Both Martin and Buntan took on Sundell just two months apart in 2022, coming up short via unanimous decision.
Martin rebounded with an impressive decision win over British star Amber Kitchen at ONE Fight Night 1 in August, while Buntan also topped the Brit at ONE Fight Night 5 last December.
With a victory at ONE Fight Night 10, either fighter would have earned another shot with a 2-0 ledger post-Sundell.
2. Buntan has virtually cleaned out the rest of the strawweight division
Buntan has long sat at the upper echelon of the growing women’s strawweight muay Thai division.
With a win over Martin, the 25-year-old will have virtually cleared out the competition.
The Boxing Works representative holds wins over divisional rivals Ekaterina Vandaryeva, Daniela Lopez, Nat “Wondergirl” Jaroonsak and the aforementioned Kitchen, leaving very few options other than a world title shot next.
3. Martin has settled into the 4-ounce game
Martin endured a baptism by fire in her ONE Championship debut against Sundell, a match that was her first in the organization’s patented four-ounce gloves.
The Canberra native has spoken openly about the steep learning curve that comes with fighting in smaller gloves for the first time, and she showed off the required adjustments in her return against Kitchen.
The next step for Martin is former world title challenger Buntan. If the 27-year-old can overcome that challenge, especially if she earns a stoppage, then a title shot of her own could be next.
