Joshua Pacio submits Mansur Malachiev, retains strawweight gold at ONE: The Inner Circle 21

Joshua Pacio silenced doubters with another dominant world title defense at ONE: The Inner Circle 21.

The fighting pride of Baguio City defended his ONE strawweight MMA world title, submitting Russia's Mansur Malachiev via first-round rear-naked choke in the card’s main event on Friday evening at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

After nearly getting submitted by a rear naked choke, the Filipino champion reversed the position, landed inside Malachiev's guard, and transitioned to the challenger’s back before locking in his own rear naked choke.

Refusing to tap out, Malachiev fell on his shield, choosing instead to go unconscious.

“We know he will go to his bread and butter and that is the takedown,” Pacio said in the post-fight interview. “The first fight, I didn't get the guillotine choke and that's what we are planning to do in this fight, but it is what it is.”

“Man, I got nearly submitted by rear naked choke and it's all about perseverance. I came back and got the rear naked choke.”

In addition to retaining the gold, Pacio pocketed a whopping USD 50,000 performance bonus.

Asked who he wants to face next, Pacio declined to name a specific opponent, putting the entire division on notice instead.

“I'm not really good at plotting who's next, but I'm at the top of the food chain,” said Pacio. “I'm the champion whoever ONE Championship gives me, I will face. But mind me I'm plotting the top five of this division.”

“I'm looking at your strengths and weaknesses and I'm reviewing you daily. So I'm ready.”

In the co-main event, however, Pacio's teammate and Philippine MMA icon Eduard Folayang suffered a first-round technical knockout loss to Japanese rising star Shozo Isojima.

—JKC, GMA News