DOWN. Jackie Buntan (right) shuts down Diandra Martin (left) during their match at ONE on Prime Video 10 in Broomfield, Colorado on Saturday (Manila time, May 6, 2023). The Fil-Am fighter connected on a right hook that sent the Australian down the floor. (Photo screengrab from ONE Championship Facebook page)
MANILA – Jackie Buntan added Diandra Martin to her growing list of “victims” after the former scored a huge knockout at ONE on Prime Video 10 at the 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado on Saturday (Manila time).
The Filipino-American, who was superb all match long, connected on a right hook that sent the Australian down the floor.
Although Martin made the 10-count, she was already bloodied inside her nose, and referee Justin Brown had seen enough and called it a technical knockout for Buntan at the 2:34 mark of Round 1.
Buntan now has won back-to-back fights after her first pro loss against Smilla Sunden and is now at 5-1 overall, while Martin dropped to 1-2 as a ONE Championship fighter.
In an interview with commentator Mitch Chilson, Buntan, while aware that she is in line for a rematch against Sunden for the ONE strawweight muay thai title, said she wants a shot at the vacant ONE strawweight kickboxing title.
Meanwhile, Filipino-Australian fighter Reece McLaren fell prey to Kazakhstan's Kairat Akhmetov in a battle of flyweight mixed martial arts contenders.
Akhmetov's brilliance in the ground game early on set the tone for him even as he showed his striking power too in Round 3 to seal the win against McLaren.
The Kazakhstan fighter slowed McLaren down in the first two rounds with five takedowns as the latter, known for his well-roundedness, struggled to bounce back.
Akhmetov then connected on crucial strikes in the final round, including a high kick to McLaren's head, to complete the dominating job.
All three judges agreed that Akhmetov, the number two-ranked contender, got the better of McLaren, ranked fourth, as the former, now at 27-2, could very well be in line for a future title shot against the winner of the Demetrious Johnson-Adriano Moraes showdown for the ONE flyweight title.
The Johnson-Moraes clash, the third installment of their rivalry, is ongoing as of posting time.
McLaren, on the other hand, fell to 16-9 as his own road to the world title hit a snag. (PNA)
