Hemetsberger experienced the reality of what it’s like to compete at the highest level of the striking arts in the first stanza when her nose exploded under the pressure of Buntan’s right hand.
The strike served as a wake-up call for the RS-GYM and Phuket Fight Club representative, who then stung the reigning ONE Women’s Strawweight Kickboxing World Champion with two short right punches on two separate occasions.
In both instances, Buntan fell to the mat and was administered an eight-count. But she rose back to her feet each time.
Now behind on the scorecards, the Filipina-American pushed forward in rounds two and three with her trademark right punch-left hook combination, and it began to find its mark. Not only was Hemetsberger’s nose leaking, but her head was swollen and her eyes were closing.
Her will, however, kept her winning.
In the fourth frame, the Austrian picked off Buntan from the outside with long jabs and right hands. The California-based fighter absorbed some of those blows and evaded others. Hemetsberger’s kicks, however, kept her slightly ahead.
When the fifth and final round began, both women emerged from their respective corners wearing the faces that only two hardened warriors could. Nearby at ringside, the prestigious 26-pound golden belt served as a reminder of what they were fighting for.
Hemetsberger fired off body kicks that sent Buntan sideways. In return, the Filipina-American strung together boxing combinations that tilted and rocked her rival’s head. With each passing second, the intensity grew.
Both women fought until the only thing holding them up was sheer heart and determination.
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In the end, all three judges awarded Hemetsberger the unanimous decision victory.
The Austrian not only won the division’s vacant crown, but she nudged her record to 9-1 and proved the pathway from the ONE Friday Fights event series to the top of the world is doable – but only for the best of the best.
