Two-sport queen Stella Hemetsberger of Austria walked out of ONE Fight Night 46 on Aug. 14 at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, with her ONE women’s strawweight Muay Thai world title intact.
‘Always Hungry’ successfully retained her 26 pounds of gold after knocking out dangerous Russian challenger Natalia Diachova with a highlight-reel body kick in the third round.
Now comes the question of who’s next for the Austrian sensation.
Given her rivalry with Jackie Buntan, the question of a third meeting was always going to come up.
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Hemetsberger and Buntan have shared the ring twice across two disciplines. While the 27-year-old won both contests, those combined 10 rounds were highly competitive.
Speaking to ONE Championship, Hemetsberger addressed a potential third match with her familiar foe:
“Honestly, after 2-0, I guess we do have a dominant direction in that matter of that rivalry. But Jackie is a good fighter; I guess she’s gonna fight again in ONE, and we’ll see about that,” she said.
“So maybe in the future at some point, but right now after the 2-0, maybe some other opponent next.”
Two-sport queen Stella Hemetsberger puts MMA on the backburner for now
Beyond the Jackie Buntan conversation, there is a broader question that follows the two-sport world champion.
Stamp Fairtex set the benchmark by holding titles across three disciplines, and Stella Hemetsberger’s striking credentials naturally invite the comparison.
However, the Austrian is not actively chasing that dream. Two belts demand full attention, and she wants to focus on defending them for now.
“MMA is not on the plan right now. I like to focus on the two disciplines I’m doing already. Never say never, but right now it’s not on the plan,” she told ONE.
ONE Fight Night 46 is available on demand for Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.
Edited by Aziel Karthak
