Anissa “C18” Meksen has another chance to make her dream a reality at ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug.
The pound-for-pound great will face Filipino-American phenom Jackie Buntan for the inaugural ONE Women’s Strawweight Kickboxing World Title live in U.S. primetime on Friday, November 8, and she’s determined to make history at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
After dropping a decision to “The Queen” Phetjeeja for the ONE Interim Women’s Atomweight Kickboxing World Title in her last outing, the Algerian-French icon is fired up to finally get her hands on ONE gold.
Even after claiming seven Kickboxing and Muay Thai World Titles throughout a legendary career in the striking arts, “C18” believes a victory over Buntan would top them all.
She told onefc.com:
“It’s the inaugural belt. It’s history. It really will be amazing to get this title.
“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.”
Entering ONE with a long list of accomplishments and a reputation as one of the best women’s strikers of all time, Meksen has always had one vision in mind.
The 36-year-old is now hungrier than ever to claim a ONE World Title because of the setback in her first attempt, and she’s doing everything in her power to leave with the strap on November 8:
“I’ve been waiting four years for this, and that’s why my motivation is very high. I really want to take this belt.
“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.”
Meksen Believes Elite-Level Experience Is Key Against Buntan
As a decorated Kickboxing and Muay Thai World Champion with a career spanning 16 years, Anissa Meksen has seen it all.
While she does not dismiss what Jackie Buntan has to offer, the veteran is not fazed by her rival’s skill set and plans to utilize her experience in their inaugural ONE Women’s Strawweight Kickboxing World Title clash.
Meksen said of Buntan:
“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.
“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.”
One new thing for Meksen is the move up to strawweight for this matchup.
However, she thinks it will only bring out her best after a training camp in which she’s strived to get better and stronger each day:
“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.
“I’m in my best shape now. I’ve trained hard, and everything is perfect.”
