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Swedish teen Smilla Sundell warns Jakie Buntan ahead of world title clash
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Smilla Sundell earns victory in her ONE Championship debut in February.
D
espite her young age, Smilla Sundell has worked hard throughout her life to earn a chance to get her hands on the gold, with her next match against fellow contender for the ONE Women’s Strawweight Muay Thai Jackie Buntan.
The highly anticipated bout will be the co-main event for ONE: Eersel vs Sadikovic, which will be held live on April 22, in Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Should Sundell earn the win over her Filipino-America rival, not only will she become the queen of the division, it will also make the Swedish striker the youngest champion at 17-years old. Such a feat is something Sundell is not keen on passing off.
“I hate losing, I will become aggressive and finish her, I will become a world champion,” she said. [After] my first win on the global stage, it was a great experience and I couldn’t wait to fight again.”
Sundell has been fearless throughout her career, amassing 32-5-1 record, which include 22 knockout victories. The teen sensation awed the audience when she showed off what she had and dominated Diandra Martin to earn a third-round TKO in her ONE Championship debut in February this year.
Despite her incredible debut, Buntan has also impressed the fans with her own display of skills, defeating three consecutive opponents including Sundell’s former training partner, Nat “Wondergirl” Jaroonsak. Although faced with a more experienced foe in her second showing, she does not seem to be fazed by it.
“Jackie, don’t underestimate me. I want this belt, and I will get it,” she warned.
Read also: Demetrious Johnson praises respect culture in ONE Championship
The teen striker has been sharpening her skill at the Fairtex Training Center in Pattaya, Thailand, in order to have the necessary preparations to get the gold of the division. She has been exposed to a wealth of knowledge from world champion teammates like Saemapetch Fairtex and Stamp Fairtex.
“I see Stamp as a big sister and she’s very inspiring. I want to be like her someday, she always motivates me to become stronger and pushes me to be better,” Sundell said. “Fairtex [Training Center] has opened the door to become better, having access to world champions makes me push myself to another level.”
Watch ONE: Eersel vs. Sadikovic on April 22 on the ONE Super App and subscribe to ONE Championship on YouTube!
This article is published in collaboration with ONE Championship
