Stella Hemetsberger has discovered something profound about championship fights: early knockdowns mean nothing without the heart to finish what you started when elite opponents fight back with everything they possess.

Austria’s first ONE Strawweight Muay Thai World Champion reflected on her unanimous decision victory over Jackie Buntan at ONE Fight Night 35, revealing the mental fortitude required to withstand the Filipina-American’s furious middle-round comeback after scoring two stunning first-round knockdowns.

“Getting a knockdown and then two knockdowns gives confidence, but I think I felt confident before the fight as well, trusting in my abilities and trusting in my team,” Hemetsberger said.

The 26-year-old’s preparation at Phuket Fight Club identified a crucial weakness in Buntan’s defensive habits. Their analysis revealed the strawweight kickboxing queen’s tendency to lean back avoiding head kicks, creating openings for perfectly timed counter punches.

“We prepared for everything. We didn’t put a specific game plan to exactly execute one technique, but we worked to be overall complete,” she explained. “We definitely worked on my left hook and what we’re gonna do if she leans back, but we just managed to put it together the right way.”

Those early knockdowns could have broken lesser opponents, but Buntan proved her mettle by weathering the storms and unleashing trademark combinations that gradually shifted momentum. The California-based striker’s middle-round surge tested Hemetsberger’s resolve when her early lead began evaporating.

Heart separated pretender from champion in those crucial moments. Hemetsberger refused to coast on early success, earning every second of her unanimous decision through sustained excellence under maximum pressure.

“I was just trying to stay calm, listen to my corner and whatever she comes with at me, still be ready to put on a good fight,” she said. “I just tried to put my heart in there and do everything I’m capable of.”

The Austrian’s ambitions extend beyond single-sport dominance. Having mastered Muay Thai’s “art of eight limbs,” she eyes Buntan’s strawweight kickboxing crown to complete two-sport supremacy.

“I’m coming from kickboxing, and I do have way more experience in kickboxing as well,” Hemetsberger offered. “I would like to give myself a go at kickboxing rules.”

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