‘It’s In My Blood’ – How Jackie Buntan’s Southern California Upbringing Shaped Her Laid-Back Personality

Jackie Buntan has Southern California vibes running through her veins.

On November 8 in U.S. primetime, the 27-year-old striker will face all-time great Anissa “C18” Meksen for the inaugural ONE Women’s Strawweight Kickboxing World Title at ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug.

With that much-anticipated World Title showdown rapidly approaching, Buntan took time out of her training camp to speak with onefc.com about what it means to be born and bred in SoCal.

Raised in the South Bay area of Los Angeles where she still lives today, the Filipino-American says that she epitomizes the chill attitude that most people associate with her region.

She explained:

“The Cali lifestyle has definitely shaped me, groomed me into who I am today. It’s to be super laid back, not take yourself too seriously, and literally just go with the flow of life.

“I’m never one to fight through. If things happen, that happens for a reason. I’m not going to fight that. But yeah, growing up in Cali, it’s in my blood. I think anybody who knows me knows I’m definitely a Cali girl.”

While she might be relaxed outside of the ring, Buntan is anything but when throwing down under ONE’s bright lights. She has amassed an impressive 6-1 promotional record to establish herself as one of the planet’s most talented and well-rounded strikers.

Beyond her attitude, Buntan says that growing up in Southern California’s melting pot gave her a unique perspective on life and what it means to be an American.

Coming from a family of Filipino immigrants, she was the only one born in the U.S. and thus the only American citizen in her family:

“All my sisters, my parents, they were all born in the Philippines. I grew up knowing the advantages I had and the disadvantages they had. Way back when we were younger, they weren’t citizens. I was. So I had more advantages that I didn’t really know were advantages until I became a young adult.”

Ultimately, Buntan is grateful for her upbringing in Southern California.

She says the area’s incredible diversity makes it a place unlike any other, offering new experiences and the chance to meet folks from all walks of life:

“I’m very blessed to be here in America, be here in Cali. It’s like a huge melting pot out here, not just with food, but the diversity of people around you. The diversity not only brings change into your life, but it brings different understandings and different perspectives into these different worlds and different little subcultures throughout Los Angeles, specifically.

“I think it’s a really cool thing. I think you’re always learning something here when you meet new people because everybody’s coming from a completely different walk of life.”

Buntan Explains What Defines A SoCal Local

As a lifelong Southern California resident, Jackie Buntan knows what separates the locals from the visitors.

Today, just as she did as a child, the strawweight phenom spends practically every weekend at the ocean. But like most other So Cal locals, she tends to keep her feet on dry land rather than hopping in the water.

She added:

“Every weekend, I’m at the beach. Some people think, ‘Oh, you’re actually in the water.’ I’m like, ‘No, I’m just on top, in the parking lot, walking around.’

“I think most people around here, when you go to the beach, you’re going to the beach, but you’re not going in the actual water. And, to me, I think that’s kind of how you know if they’re local or not, is that they’re not in the water. ‘Cause anybody local here knows the water’s gonna be way too cold.”

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