Joshua Pacio got back on track with a victory at ONE Fight Night 15 the week before last, and he attributes his success to the output and sheer power he displayed during the fight. Mansur Malachiev was a challenging opponent for Pacio.
The current No. 1 ranked athlete and former ONE strawweight MMA world champion used his world-famous striking and grappling to win most of his duels against the Industrial Fighters athlete.
After a 15-minute war that was filled with back-and-forth action, the Lions Nation MMA exponent ensured that he came out on top each time the two were caught together in gridlock, and this contributed significantly to his success.
Following his triumph, Joshua Pacio gave an interview to ONE Championship in which he discussed the factors that contributed to his success on the judges’ scorecards. Here is what he had to say:
“You know, I was throwing heavy shots, and I think the damage category [is where I won],” said the victorious fighter. However, we can’t forget about the punches. He knocked me out with an incredible punch [to the side of my face on the left].
His record now stands at 21-4, an improvement thanks to ‘The Passion’s’ victory. More significantly, it should put him in a favorable position for a rematch versus Jarred Brooks, who is now the reigning king of the division.
There is no opponent more worthy of being the ONE strawweight MMA world champion’s first challenge than the resident of Baguio City. The ONE strawweight MMA world champion has not yet been tested at the highest level of competition.
Joshua Pacio has been a fan favorite for a number of years, and many people are anticipating that he will put on a better performance this time around in response to the fact that he was defeated by ‘The Monkey God’ through unanimous decision in the main event of ONE 164 in December of last year. The bout in question took place between the two fighters.
In the interim, fans in North America may remember his most recent triumph over Malachiev at ONE Fight Night 15 by watching the replay on Amazon Prime Video. The fight took place in December.
