“That will be the end of it” - Mansur Malachiev says he will knock Joshua Pacio out if they run it back for ONE gold
Mansur Malachiev believes he will knock out Joshua Pacio in a potential rematch.
In October 2023, Malachiev and Pacio fought in a non-title strawweight MMA bout. Then-undefeated Malachiev showcased his world-championship potential in the three-round matchup at ONE Fight Night 15 before suffering a unanimous decision defeat against his more experienced opponent.
Since then, Malachiev has bounced back with back-to-back unanimous decision wins against Yosuke Saruta and Bokang Masunyane. The Russian's performance against number two-ranked Masunyan took place at last week's ONE Fight Night 25, putting him back into the direct title shot picture.
Following ONE Fight Night 25, Malachiev did a post-fight interview with Nick Atkin. The 32-year-old was asked about a potential rematch with reigning ONE strawweight MMA world champion Pacio and responded with confidence:
"I will just knock him out and that will be the end of it. I just want to get the belt."
ONE Fight Night 25 featured Mansur Malachiev vs. Bokang Masunyane, Alexis Nicolas vs. Regian Eersel 2, John Lineker vs. Alexey Balyko, Sinsamut vs. Youssef Assouik, and more. The event's replay can be seen by North American and Canadian viewers with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.
Watch Malachiev's entire interview with Nick Atkin below:
Mansur Malachiev might have to wait for Joshua Pacio rematch
Earlier this year, Joshua Pacio regained the ONE strawweight MMA world title due to a disqualification against Jarred Brooks. The world-class fighters were expected to compete in a must-see trilogy bout in 2024 before Pacio suffered a torn ACL in training, postponing the inevitable matchup.
Brooks has since captured the interim ONE strawweight MMA world title, creating another reason for him to face Pacio next. Therefore, ONE Championship's priority is expected to make the unification bout in late 2024 or early 2025, depending on Pacio's recovery.
Mansur Malachiev has two options to pursue for his next fight. He could wait until Pacio vs Brooks 3 and potentially face the winner. Malachiev could also challenge another top contender in the meantime, with an interim title bout against Brooks as a possibility. The decision will likely come down to ONE Championship officials.