Joshua Pacio once stood atop ONE Championship’s strawweight mountain. The Filipino dropped the gold to Jarred Brooks but has begun his climb back toward his title at ONE Fight Night 15. Pacio took home a unanimous decision win over Mansur Malachiev to get back in the win column.
It was a crucial win for Pacio. It was important not only because Malachiev was a rising contender but also because the Russian was known for his wrestling. It was a chance to showcase his improvements in that area. After three hard rounds, the Lions Nation MMA representative was confident he would get his hand raised.
“You know, I was throwing heavy shots, and I think it’s the damage category [where I won]. Yes, he took me down, but he didn’t damage me from my guard. And yeah, like what I said, Jarred Brooks is heavier from the top position. So, I was confident going into the guard game or on the ground. But, of course, the punches, he caught me with an awesome punch [on the left side of my face],” Pacio told ONE.
Although Malachiev was able to take Pacio to the mat, he was unable to inflict any damage on the Filipino star. The former ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion noted the difference in the grappling games of his last two opponents. Pacio also took note of the difference between the ring and the Circle.
“I think Jarred Brooks is more of a pressure wrestler, and I think they’re not the same. And also, this fight is in the ring, and when I fought Jarred Brooks, we fought in the cage. So, it’s different. And the ring, it’s like you’re free, it’s wide. Even if you go ringside, he can tuck his arms together. But in the cage, you can’t tuck your arms. It’s hard because it’s a cage. It’s very different,” the Filipino described.
The victory affirmed Pacio’s spot as the top contender in the strawweight division. However, he is not being greedy and demanding a shot at the gold. While he would not turn down a title shot, Pacio was not impressed with his overall performance.
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“But honestly, I’m not impressed with my performance right now. I need to go to the gym again and work harder, you know. I was not relaxed. I was concentrated on throwing the power shots because I saw the damage. And I was eager to throw power shots. So it really got in my head to finish him. But that’s not how it was supposed to happen. I should have been more relaxed and threw my combinations more confidently. If they give me Jarred Brooks, I’ll grab it. Like what I’ve said, if they give me Bokang or someone else in the top five, I’ll still grab it,” Pacio stated.
While a title shot is not too far off in the distance, Pacio also sees the benefit for his new gym. After leaving Team Lakay, Pacio and Eduard Folayang helped found Lions Nation MMA, and both have picked up recent wins in ONE. Pacio feels it is a statement for both men and the future of the camp.
“We are here to stay in ONE Championship. And, you know, Eduard is here to stay. And that performance was very spectacular. That’s a statement that he’s still here despite his age. He’s still hungry. And, of course, my other teammates are also hungry to come back, and I hope they’re going to fight in November, December, or the upcoming months,” Pacio said.
