“I can fight them both in one day” - Mansur Malachiev confident he can take out Joshua Pacio and Jarred Brooks in the same night
Mansur Malachiev fired a warning to ONE strawweight MMA world champion Joshua Pacio and interim titleholder Jarred Brooks.
At ONE Fight Night 25, Malachiev solidified himself as a top contender in the strawweight MMA division.
The Russian grappler faced number two-ranked Bokang Masunyane, who was previously riding a two-fight win streak and bested him to secure a three-round unanimous decision.
Malachiev's latest win extended the strawweight MMA title picture, which features and injured Pacio and a lurking Brooks. A rematch between the division's king could be next, so Malachiev might have to wait for the winner or fight again.
Malachiev also has a history with Pacio as they first fought in October 2023. Pacio defeated Malachiev by unanimous decision in a three-round matchup at ONE Fight Night 15.
During a post-fight interview with Nick Atkin, Malachiev had this to say about potentially fighting Pacio or Brooks for ONE gold:
"To be honest, even if it’s Brooks or Joshua, I don’t really care. I can beat them all, I can fight them both in one day and get the belt."
Mansur Malachiev vs. Bokang Masunyane was one of several entertaining matchups that took place at ONE Fight Night 25.
The replay of the entire Lumpinee Stadium event can be seen for free by North American and Canadian viewers with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.
Watch Malachiev's entire interview with Nick Atkin below:
Will Mansur Malachiev fight for ONE gold next?
Mansur Malachiev proved he has world-title potential by taking out Bokang Masunyane. Unfortunately, Joshua Pacio's injury has sparked a slight delay in the ONE strawweight MMA world title picture, giving Malachiev several paths for what's next.
Firstly, ONE Championship might decide to have Jarred Brooks defend his interim strap.
The American superstar seems to be itching to fight again following his impressive win against Gustavo Balart. It wouldn't be shocking if the promotion decides to hold off for the must-see rematch between Brooks and Pacio.
Malachiev could potentially receive a title shot following Pacio vs Brooks III, but he would have to be sidelined for an extended period.
Assuming the Russian wants to fight again relatively soon, he might have to face another top contender like fourth-ranked Hiroba Minowa or third-ranked Balart.
Regardless of what's next, Malachiev proved at ONE Fight Night 25 that he deserves respect in the strawweight MMA world title picture.