Austria's Stella Hemetsberger executed a textbook championship performance at ONE Fight Night 35, weathering early adversity to claim the vacant ONE Women's Strawweight Muay Thai World Title against Jackie Buntan.
The opening round revealed the tactical chess match that would define this contest. Buntan's explosive right hand that damaged Hemetsberger's nose within the first two minutes appeared to establish dominance, but the Austrian's immediate tactical adjustment proved crucial.
Rather than retreating or clinching, Hemetsberger stepped inside Buntan's power shots and delivered two perfectly timed short right punches that exploited gaps in the American's defense.
Both knockdowns demonstrated superior ring IQ from Hemetsberger. The first came as Buntan overcommitted to a combination, leaving herself off-balance. The second knockdown showed Hemetsberger had studied her opponent's defensive patterns, timing the punch to coincide with Buntan's predictable lean-back movement.
Buntan's response in rounds two and three showcased championship resilience. Her right punch-left hook combination became increasingly effective as she found her timing, systematically targeting Hemetsberger's compromised vision. The Filipina-American's body work during this phase was particularly intelligent, attacking areas that would affect Hemetsberger's mobility in later rounds.
However, championship fights are won in the championship rounds, and Hemetsberger's conditioning and discipline became decisive factors. Her round four performance demonstrated elite-level fight IQ – maintaining distance with educated jabs while utilizing kicks to control space. The Austrian's ability to fight effectively despite limited vision spoke to her technical fundamentals and preparation.
The final round epitomized championship-level competition. Both athletes operated on pure determination, but Hemetsberger's superior game plan execution proved decisive. Her body kicks consistently disrupted Buntan's rhythm while her defensive footwork prevented the American from landing clean combinations. When fatigue became a factor, Hemetsberger's technical discipline remained intact while Buntan's accuracy diminished.
In the co-main event, Shadow Singha Mawynn delivered a clinic in pressure fighting against Bampara Kouyate.
The Thai fighter's victory wasn't just spectacular – it was strategically brilliant. Shadow identified Kouyate's defensive tendencies early and systematically exploited them through constant forward pressure.
What made Shadow's performance particularly impressive was his ability to maintain constant pressure without compromising defensive responsibility.
Many fighters who employ forward pressure leave themselves vulnerable to counters, but Shadow's head movement and footwork kept him safe while forcing Kouyate into a defensive shell.
ONE Fight Night 35 – Complete Results:
• Stella Hemetsberger defeats Jackie Buntan via unanimous decision (Muay Thai – Strawweight World Championship)
• Shadow Singha Mawynn defeats Bampara Kouyate via TKO at 1:20 of round two (Muay Thai – Featherweight)
• Akbar Abdullaev defeats Ibragim Dauev via TKO at 3:49 of round three (MMA – Featherweight)
• Rambolek Chor Ajalaboon defeats Dmitrii Kovtun via TKO at 2:01 of round two (Muay Thai – Bantamweight)
• Tye Ruotolo defeats Adrian Lee via submission at 4:14 of round two (MMA – Lightweight)
• Johan Ghazali defeats Zakaria El Jamari via TKO at 2:10 of round one (Muay Thai – Flyweight)
• Natalie Salcedo defeats Macarena Aragon via submission at 2:42 of round one (MMA – Atomweight)
• Hyu defeats Jordan Estupinan via TKO at 1:45 of round three (Kickboxing – Flyweight)
ONE Championship
Leave a comment
Please login to leave a comment.