The Inner Circle 21: Pacio Puts Strawweight MMA Title On The Line

ONE Championship has announced a World Title fight that has been building since 2023.

Reigning ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion Joshua Pacio puts his crown on the line against Mansur Malachiev in a highly anticipated rematch at The Inner Circle 21 on Friday, July 10, streaming live on live.onefc.com.

Pacio, 30, is one of the most decorated champions in ONE history. The Lions Nation MMA product carries a 23-5 career record and a 14-5 ONE slate with nine finishes into the rematch, currently riding a three-fight win streak in the strawweight division.

The six-time ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion has built his reign through a series of landmark performances, reclaiming the title in 2024 before unifying it in 2025 to become the undisputed king of the division.

The history between these two rivals makes this rematch one of the most compelling title fights of the year. They first met in 2023, when Pacio, fighting without his title after losing it in December 2022, delivered a warrior's performance against the then-undefeated Russian to hand Malachiev the first defeat of his career.

That result set Pacio on the road back to championship gold and left Malachiev with a burning desire to avenge the only loss on his record.

The Russian challenger has used that defeat as fuel ever since. Malachiev, 34, trains out of Universal Fighters and carries a 14-1 MMA record and a 4-1 ONE slate with two finishes into the title fight.

After falling to Pacio, he rebuilt his momentum in the most convincing fashion possible, stringing together victories over three top-tier fighters including former ONE World Champions Yosuke Saruta and Jarred Brooks. The message was clear. Malachiev had not just bounced back. He had evolved, and he is coming to Bangkok with championship gold firmly in his sights.

Two fighters who know each other intimately. A champion defending undisputed gold. A challenger fuelled by the memory of his only career loss. The Inner Circle 21 on July 10 is set for a strawweight MMA title fight that could be the best of the year.