Anissa Meksen and Jackie Buntan were initially slated for a title tilt at ONE Fight Night 23, but Buntan had to withdraw due to injury. The two ONE Championship strikers will meet on the loaded lineup of ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug on Friday, November 8.
The two will compete for the inaugural ONE Women’s Strawweight Kickboxing World Championship. It is an enticing prize for the 36-year-old, who has taken gold everywhere else she has competed throughout her illustrious career.
Grabbing the elusive ONE World Title is the missing piece to her collection.
“It’s the inaugural belt. It’s history. It really will be amazing to get this title,” Meksen told ONE.
“It’s my dream. It’s my goal. It’s everything to me. If I take the belt, it will be the best moment of my career for sure.”
The inaugural ONE Women’s Strawweight Kickboxing World Title is at the forefront of Meksen’s mind.
The Korean Tiger Studios striker has chased gold in ONE since arriving, and she is making sure she is as prepared as possible for the showdown at ONE 169.
“I’ve been waiting four years for this, and that’s why my motivation is very high. I really want to take this belt,” the French-Algerian remarked.
“For sure, I will win. I’ve trained hard now for one month and a half. I’m in the best shape, and I’m ready to fight. I have pushed a lot during every training session. It’s my time.”
The 36-year-old knows Buntan will be a stiff challenge when the bell rings. Even though Buntan has shown her power on the global stage, the veteran says it is nothing she hasn’t seen before.
“She is complete, and she has good boxing. That’s why I have trained a lot of boxing and everything. My camp is the same every time, but of course, I adapt my style against my opponent,” Meksen replied.
“She is very strong, but at my level, every opponent is strong. I have faced a lot of strong opponents. For me, it’s not new.”
Meksen, having competed in ONE’s atomweight division, could be seen as an underdog against Buntan. However, the French-Algerian feels more at home with the strawweight limit.
“C18” has not had to watch her weight and has even been able to do strength training to add more pop to her strikes. She hopes it will lead to gold on November 8.
“It’s my natural weight, so I haven’t had to care about weight or my diet or anything like that. I’ve just stayed focused on my training. I’ve just put on a little bit of muscle for more power, but that’s it,” Meksen remarked.
“I’m in my best shape now. I’ve trained hard, and everything is perfect.”
ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug airs live on Friday, November 8, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Prime Video. The event airs free to all Amazon Prime subscribers based in the U.S. and Canada.