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After unifying the strawweight MMA world titles, Joshua Pacio is already on the lookout for his next challenger.
'The Passion' recently acknowledged that no.2 ranked strawweight MMA contender Mansur Malachiev might be the next man in line for a world title shot at 125 pounds.
Following his incredible come-from-behind TKO win over rival Jarred Brooks at ONE 171: Qatar, Pacio said he wouldn't mind running it back with the Russian grappling specialist.
The Filipino superstar said in an interview with The MMA Superfan:
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"For what I see, the number two guy is [Mansur] Malachiev, and if they give me him, why not? I’ve studied him before in fight camp, from Jarred to Malachiev. I know their styles, and I know their weaknesses. Of course, they also know my style, so I need to triple up my training. Whoever ONE Championship puts in front of me, we will defend."
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Joshua Pacio is indeed quite familiar with Malachiev, having locked horns with the 33-year-old back in 2023.
The Industrial Fighters standout was able to land takedowns on the strawweight MMA champion and apply some pressure. However, Pacio showcased his underrated jiu-jitsu by staying active off his back and even caught his opponent with several submission attempts.
The Lions Nation MMA athlete came away with the unanimous decision victory, which remains Malachiev's lone loss in 14 career matches.
Joshua Pacio says knee injury tested his mental resolve
Apart from enduring a grueling physical rehabilitation process to rehab his torn ACL, Joshua Pacio also had to get over a mental hurdle.
After all, even he was uncertain if he would regain his previous form after a serious knee injury. Still, 'The Passion' kept his strong faith and trusted the process. He said in the same interview:
"Everyone knows everything that I’ve gone through with the injuries. When this fight was given, I had to think really hard about it. Do I accept it? Of course, I was thinking that it’s already healed up, but was I really ready mentally considering I was coming off an injury? It’s difficult to overcome that."
The full replay of ONE 171: Qatar is available via watch.onefc.com.
