ONE Championship: 3 Top MMA Strawweights Who Joshua Pacio Could Face Next

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Former ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion Joshua Pacio returned to the ring last week at ONE Fight Night 15: Le vs. Freymanov, and he couldn't be denied his first step back to World Title contention.

"The Passion" was too strong for fifth-ranked strawweight MMA contender Mansur Malachiev on Saturday, 7 October, in Bangkok, Thailand's Lumpinee Boxing Stadium. Pacio outworked the Russian over the course of 15 minutes to earn the unanimous decision win.

ONE Fight Night 15 marked the Filipino's first march into battle since parting ways with the division's gold in December 2022 against Jarred Brooks at ONE 162. Now, having put in an assertive effort to return to winning ways, let's look at who's next for Pacio.

1. Jarred Brooks: There are many moving parts in the strawweight MMA realm. Pacio is itching to reclaim the gold he once held, and if the stars align he may find himself in a rematch with the ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion in Brooks in the immediate future.

Brooks stripped Pacio of the World Title in front of the Filipino's own people last year. He utilized his wrestling to shut down Pacio's aggressive style. But "The Passion" offered up a new and improved version of himself at ONE Fight Night 15.

He learned valuable lessons in his defeat to Brooks. Those lessons were paramount to his victory over the surging Malachiev. So, should he get his wish for a World Title rematch soon, the sequel could make for a very intriguing showdown.

2. Bokang Masunyane: Masunyane's resume in the strawweight realm has seen him battle many of the best names on offer. The biggest "Little Giant" has met Ryuto Sadawa, Hiroba Minowa, and Brooks himself.

But one man he's yet to cross paths with is Pacio. The strawweight stars have both returned to winning formulas since coming up short to the American king. But Masunyane got back in the win column with a unanimous decision last April at ONE Fight Night 9.

And with Masunyane ranked as the #2 contender behind Pacio in the division, there's no better way for both men to put their momentum to the test than in a pivotal showdown to see who gets a shot at redemption against Brooks.

3. Gustavo Balart: Balart is on fire right now. The #4-ranked contender is riding a heat-seeking missile to the top of the division and has assembled an impressive three-fight winning streak en route to the weight bracket's elite section.

The Cuban star went without a win in his first three outings but has crafted an incredible comeback to beat multiple grizzled veterans in Sawada, Yosuke Saruta, and Alex Silva.

"El Gladiator" brings a fiery style to battle. Win or lose, his contests have always been memorable outings. His firepower has made him a unique star in the division, and a World Title eliminator with Pacio has the potential for fireworks.