WATCH: 17-Year-Old Smilla Sundell Puts On an Emphatic Performance to Become the Youngest ONE World Champion at ONE 156

Published 04/22/2022, 11:38 AM EDT

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Smilla Sundell becomes the youngest ONE World Champion; The co-main event had the vacant Strawweight Muay Thai World Title on the line. In a fairly competitive bout, Smilla Sundell defeated Jackie Buntan via unanimous decision.

On one hand, the Californian fighter’s dream of becoming the ONE World Champion got delayed. The other side of the coin saw Sundell create history.

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“The Storm” made a name for herself fighting in the regional Muay Thai scene as she held a 32-5-1 record coming into the bout. The fighter is one of the youngest fighters on ONE’s roster.

Round by Round analysis of co-main of ONE 156: Eersel vs. Sadikovic

Round 1 started with Buntan using her footwork and Sundell putting on the pressure. However, the 24-year-old was able to counter the Swede. Buntan used her impressive movements to counter the longer fighter. In a close round, it appeared Buntan had the edge.

Round 2 saw Sundell use the reach advantage in the initial part of the round. However, Buntan stayed technical and kept using the footwork and counters. Sundell came back strong in the second round and appeared to take the round by the finest of margin.

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The Californian started the third round strong; however, the Swedish fighter didn’t back down, either. Both fighters exchanged blows, yet at the end of the round, Sundell did some damage and took the round.

Championship rounds and coronation of the youngest ONE World Champion – Smilla Sundell

The start of the championship round saw both fighters put pressure on each other. However, Sundell’s strike appears to have more impact on Buntan. Also, Buntan’s eye appears to cause her issue with her vision. The 17-year-old dominated the round and was potentially ahead 3-1 going into the final round.

The final round again saw the young fighter keep the pressure on the Californian fighter. Though Buntan used good footwork, Sundell’s output was the X factor in the bout. In addition, it appeared the 17-year-old had more pop in her punches.

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Thus, the young fighter dominated the fight after having a rather difficult first round. Also, she received the performance bonus of $50K from ONE CEO and Chairman, Chatri Sityodtong. With only two bouts in the promotion, Sundell is the new ONE World Champion.

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What do you think of the co-main event of ONE 156: Eersel vs. Sadikovic? Share your opinion in the comments section below.

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Written by:

Deepak Kumar

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Deepak Kumar is a UFC author at EssentiallySports. His love for MMA comes from the chaos and violence the fight game brings to the table. A BJJ aspirant, Deepak began following the sport as a casual fan when Ronda Rousey was finishing her opponents in seconds.
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Edited by:

Vibhanshu Kumar