Jackie Buntan Gets Chance To Erase Muay Thai Loss As Stella Hemetsberger Chases Two-Sport Glory at ONE Fight Night 40

The first-round knockdowns still haunt Jackie Buntan’s memory from September, twin reminders of what happens when Austria’s aggressive newcomer finds her range early.

Now the Filipino-American kickboxing queen gets her opportunity to prove those moments represented temporary vulnerability rather than a changing of the guard when she defends her ONE Women’s Strawweight Kickboxing World Championship against Stella Hemetsberger — the same fighter who stripped away her Muay Thai dreams — in the main event of ONE Fight Night 40 on Prime Video on February 13, 2026, broadcasting live from Bangkok’s iconic Lumpinee Stadium in U.S. primetime.

Their first meeting at ONE Fight Night 35 saw Hemetsberger score those devastating knockdowns in the opening frame en route to capturing the vacant ONE Women’s Strawweight Muay Thai World Title, making her Austria’s first-ever ONE World Champion while wearing down Buntan across five rounds.

The result stung deeper than any defeat before it, yet that loss created something dangerous for the 26-year-old Austrian — a motivated champion seeking redemption in her preferred discipline where she holds every advantage.

Buntan claimed the inaugural kickboxing crown by defeating legendary Anissa Meksen last November, adding to a 27-7 career record that includes victories over Nat Jaroonsak, Ekaterina Vandaryeva, and Amber Kitchen.

Training under Bryan Popejoy and retired ONE Championship legend Janet Todd at Boxing Works in California, the 28-year-old has spent months dissecting what went wrong in September, identifying weaknesses she can exploit under kickboxing rules where Hemetsberger carries less experience.

The stylistic difference matters more than most realize. Hemetsberger splits time between RS-GYM and Phuket Fight Club, sharpening skills that earned her 9-1 professional record and made her the division’s Muay Thai queen.

Victory on February 13 would elevate her to 10-1 while making her just the third woman to achieve two-sport glory in ONE Championship — a historic accomplishment that would cement her legacy regardless of what comes next.

Yet Buntan refuses to let history repeat itself. The memory of those early knockdowns fuels every training session, driving her to prove September’s result was circumstance rather than inevitability.

She understands Hemetsberger’s forward pressure and aggression create problems for anyone, but kickboxing rules eliminate some weapons while emphasizing others where the champion holds technical advantages built across years of elite competition.