Joshua Pacio confident he will finish Mansur Malachiev at ONE Fight Night 15: “I’m going to stop him”

Joshua Pacio is gearing up for what could be one of the most pivotal bouts of his career.

The former ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion takes on #5-ranked Mansur Malachiev at ONE Fight Night 15 on Prime Video. The matchup airs live in U.S. primetime from Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, October 6.

While Pacio is no stranger to facing formidable opponents, he fully comprehends the danger that looms ahead in this clash.

Malachiev is a wrestling virtuoso, and he showed just that in his promotional debut last June. There, he barged through Jeremy Miado with his grappling before finishing the Filipino with a D’arce choke in the first round.

Pacio expects the undefeated Russian to employ the same approach in their upcoming bout.

“I think [Malachiev is] a pressure fighter. We saw it against Miado. Jeremy caught him with a good cross, and he got rocked, but he kept going. He kept gunning for that double-leg takedown because his aim was to control Miado and submit him,” Pacio said.

“Even in his fights in Eagle FC (where Malachiev became a champion), he was a monster wrestler. He’s also very good at putting together chains of submissions, so he’s certainly a high-level grappler.

“But I believe I’ve already fought the best wrestler in my division, and that is Jarred Brooks. This gives me more confidence to face Mansur. I believe I have more tools than him in MMA.”

Despite acknowledging Malachiev’s wrestling caliber, “The Passion” remains unfazed. This confidence stems from his experience of sharing the Circle with Brooks in December 2022.

Though he relinquished the ONE Strawweight MMA World Title to Brooks, Pacio values the lessons he learned from that encounter.

“I believe I’ve already fought the best wrestler in my division, and that is Jarred Brooks. This gives me more confidence to face Mansur. I believe I have more tools than him in MMA,” he said.

Joshua Pacio gunning for decisive win against Mansur Malachiev

Joshua Pacio knows that a victory over Mansur Malachiev is crucial to staying on course for a rematch with Jarred Brooks.

The Filipino openly concedes that it won’t be a walk in the park. However, he is willing to go to great lengths to walk away with his hand raised in triumph.

“Of course, I want to win in spectacular fashion, I want to stop him. But I know what my opponent is capable of. If I could predict, I feel like this will be a three-rounder,” Pacio said.

“But don’t get me wrong, I’m working on things and we’re cooking a game plan that, if I execute well, will mean I’m going to stop him.”