Mansur Malachiev confident that Joshua Pacio won't stop his wrestling: 'I'm experience enough to out-wrestle anyone'
At A Glance
- Pacio and Malachiev are set for a crucial strawweight MMA clash when they meet this Saturday, Oct. 7, at ONE Fight Night 15: Le vs. Freymanov inside Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Fifth-ranked ONE Championship strawweight MMA contender Mansur Malachiev had only one goal in mind when he signed with ONE Championship – to prove that he is the best in the world.

So imagine his joy when he found out that he’d be facing the man who’s been synonymous with the strawweight division since its inception, Joshua “The Passion” Pacio.
Pacio and Malachiev are set for a crucial strawweight MMA clash when they meet this Saturday, Oct. 7, at ONE Fight Night 15: Le vs. Freymanov inside Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
The Russian definitely knows that he’ll be up against the best Asia has to offer in this weight class, and he’s training like it.
“I feel good. I’m fired up for this fight. He’s an experienced fighter and was the World Champion in ONE, so I’m training hard to beat him,” he said.
“A win over Pacio would be a major win for me on my way to the big goal – the ONE belt. My opponent is number one in the division, and a win over him would bring me closer to a World Title fight.”
Malachiev praised Pacio’s well-rounded game, noting the Filipino’s ability to light anyone up on the feet while having the proper fundamentals to defend takedowns.
But the 30-year-old is confident with his wrestling, having come from the mystical mountains of Dagestan, a place that has developed some of the greatest MMA wrestlers in the sport’s history.
“In his arsenal, he has striking and very good wrestling defense, but my wrestling is on a whole different level. We’ll see if he can defend against it,” he said.
“I have been honing my skills for years among the best wrestlers in Dagestan. I’m experienced enough to out-wrestle anyone, and Pacio is no exception.”
And while he’s ready to go the full three rounds with Pacio, Malachiev believes he won’t need to.
“I think I have all the skills to win. I’m ready for all three rounds, but I plan on finishing Pacio early,” he said.
“I’ll tell [the fans] not to blink as it’s going to be a very entertaining and beautiful fight.”