‘It’s Like You Get To Live Out Another Alter Ego’ – How Jackie Buntan Went From Knockouts To Modeling Shoots
ONE Women’s Strawweight Kickboxing World Champion Jackie Buntan has spent years perfecting the art of the knockout. But lately, she’s been learning to strike a different kind of pose.
The Filipino-American, who defends her gold against Muay Thai queen Stella “Always Hungry” Hemetsberger in the main event of ONE Fight Night 40 this Friday, February 13, has stepped into the modeling world and graced the pages of some of the industry’s most respected magazines.
Modeling was never part of any master plan, but the 28-year-old California native has fully embraced it – especially after high-fashion publications Vogue Philippines and Numéro Netherlands approached her.
She explained:
“Vogue Philippines was amazing. That was last year. And then Numéro Netherlands, it’s a magazine issued out there in Europe. Those are really just editorial fashion based.
“But I don’t say like, ‘Oh, I’m a model.’ These things just kind of happen to fall in my lap.”
Buntan’s path into modeling began during her amateur days as a Muay Thai competitor in Southern California.
Several photographers from the local scene found work with major companies and magazines, which paved the way for the Filipino-American to pose for multiple campaigns and projects.
The strawweight kickboxing queen said:
“I had a lot of friends who are photographers within the Muay Thai community and some of them branched out and went into the fashion world. I was able to get some work with them and just kind of be consistent at that.
“The most important thing for me, just like building a brand, is working with brands, people, and things that make sense and align with me. So, I’m very cautious with what I choose to work with.”
From there, the scale of the work increased. Buntan appeared in catalog shoots for women’s athletic brand Athleta, but even as the opportunities grew, her approach remained measured.
That caution allowed her to step comfortably into editorial fashion, where expectations differ sharply from an athlete’s routine. Instead of performance metrics and outcomes, the focus shifted to mood, expression, and interpretation.
Buntan found that contrast refreshing:
“It’s super fun. I think any girl you ask, they’re going to love playing dress up and like doing it in super expensive clothes and high fashion. Like, of course, what girl wouldn’t love doing that?
“You’re kind of like in a different world where you get to play pretend almost. So yeah, I think it’s fun. It’s like you get to live out another alter ego.”
Buntan Achieves More Than She Ever Dreamed
As Buntan prepares to defend her ONE Women’s Strawweight Kickboxing World Title against Stella Hemetsberger in U.S. primetime this Friday at ONE Fight Night 40, she’s still amazed by how far she’s come.
When the California native was a little girl in middle school, all she cared about was going to the gym and throwing roundhouse kicks. Fighting professionally and competing for 26-pound golden belts weren’t anywhere near her radar, let alone modeling.
Buntan said:
“I never dreamed of like, ‘I want to be a pro fighter.’ Even though I started training when I was 11, I wasn’t like, ‘I have aspirations and dreams to become a World Champion.’ I was simply just doing it for fun.”
The fun has never stopped, and it’s clear the Filipino-American has achieved more than she ever dared to dream.
For Buntan, it all still feels surreal. If she hopped in a time machine and told her 11-year-old self what was coming – World Titles, modeling shoots, the whole package – that little girl would be on cloud nine.
The strawweight kickboxing queen said:
“I think young Jackie would be jaw-to-the-floor like, ‘What do you mean we’re doing all this? What do you mean? We’re fighting? What do you mean we’re a World Champion and we’re on Vogue? That’s crazy! That’s awesome!'”
