Nearly three years after one of the closest fights of their mixed martial arts careers, Joshua Pacio and Mansur Malachiev are set to collide once more under far brighter lights.
Pacio, from the Philippines, will renew his rivalry with Malachiev, from Dagestan, in the main event of ONE Championship's The Inner Circle 21 at the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday.
The pair first fought each other in an MMA match at ONE Fight Night 15 on Oct. 6, 2023, when Pacio, "The Passion," won an intense three-round battle via unanimous decision to hand the Russian his professional defeat.
This time, the stakes are even greater.
Instead of battling for world title contention, the pair will compete for Pacio's ONE Strawweight MMA World Championship in a five-round contest. It is a rematch shaped by redemption, evolution, and unfinished business after both athletes traveled dramatically different roads since their first meeting.
Their first duel at ONE Fight Night 15 was also staged at Lumpinee Stadium, with Pacio entering that contest carrying plenty of uncertainty 10 months after surrendering the strawweight crown to American rival Jarred Brooks.
That bout also marked his first appearance representing Lions Nation MMA, the team he co-founded alongside Eduard Folayang, Kevin Belingon, and Honorio Banario after their highly publicized departure from Team Lakay.
Malachiev, meanwhile, arrived unbeaten after announcing himself just months earlier by submitting Pacio's Filipino compatriot Jeremy Miado with a first-round D'arce choke in his promotional debut.
Another impressive victory appeared likely to secure Malachiev a crack at then-champion Brooks. Instead, he ran into one of the division's most resilient competitors.
Across three grueling rounds, Pacio repeatedly neutralized Malachiev's trademark wrestling. The Russian eventually scored several takedowns and even stunned the Filipino with a spinning backfist, but he never found a comfortable path toward domination.
Pacio answered every time danger emerged. He repeatedly threatened with guillotine chokes, frustrated Malachiev's top control, defended late takedown attempts, and stayed active until the closing seconds.
When the scorecards were read, Pacio escaped with a razor-thin unanimous decision that preserved his place among the division's elite -- and launched him back into championship contention.
Pacio's next three appearances all featured world titles on the line.
The Baguio City native challenged Brooks in their long-awaited rematch at ONE 166 in March 2024, reclaiming the strawweight championship after Brooks was disqualified for an illegal takedown that drove the Filipino's head into the canvas.
The controversial ending demanded a decisive conclusion, which arrived at ONE 171 in February 2025 -- when Brooks entered as interim champion for a trilogy unification showdown.
Pacio survived another punishing wrestling assault early before producing one of the defining moments of his career by reversing position in the second round and finishing Brooks with relentless ground-and-pound to become the undisputed ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion.
Nine months later, Pacio pursued history at ONE 173, attempting to become the first Filipino mixed martial artist to simultaneously own world championships in two different weight classes.
The gamble fell short, as flyweight king Yuya Wakamatsu, from Japan, handed Pacio his first knockout defeat with a second-round stoppage.
While Pacio experienced the highs and lows of championship competition, Malachiev quietly rebuilt his case. The Russian responded to his first career setback by compiling three consecutive victories.
Malachiev first earned a unanimous decision over former champion Yosuke Saruta, from Japan, at ONE Fight Night 19 in February 2024, followed by another dominant decision against Bokang Masunyane, from South Africa, at ONE Fight Night 25 eight months later.
The Dagestani then delivered perhaps the biggest statement of his promising run at ONE Fight Night 36 in October 2025, when he shocked the world by sending Brooks to sleep with a second-round north-south choke.
Few fighters understand rematches better than Pacio, whose career has been defined by rivalries.
The Lions Nation MMA representative fought Japanese MMA fighter Yoshitaka Naito twice, shared two meetings with Saruta, and completed an unforgettable trilogy with Brooks. Those repeat encounters earned him the fitting reputation as "The King of Rematch."
Championship experience also heavily favors the Filipino superstar.
The coming clash marks Pacio's 12th world title fight, with four of those championship appearances lasting the full five rounds. He knows how to manage the pace, conserve energy, and adjust over 25 minutes against elite opposition.
Meanwhile, Malachiev enters unfamiliar territory. This will mark the first rematch of his career, and his first opportunity to compete for a major world championship. The Russian previously fought for a regional title under the Eagle FC banner, but none of his contests have reached the championship rounds.
Talent may be evenly matched, but experience on the sport's biggest stage belongs to the defending champion.
History offers clues to the result of this contest, but it guarantees nothing.
Pacio won the first contest, but the circumstances surrounding this rematch are vastly different.
What was a three-round contender's bout is now a five-round world title tilt, demanding a different level of endurance, strategy, and composure.
Pacio returns to action after suffering his first knockout loss while enduring three physically demanding championship bouts since defeating Malachiev. Questions surrounding recovery, durability, and accumulated mileage inevitably follow him into this defense.
Malachiev, meanwhile, arrives with undeniable momentum. The Russian has strung together three consecutive victories, highlighted by his emphatic submission of Brooks. He also carries extra motivation to exact payback for the blemish on his ledger caused by Pacio.
That is what makes this sequel so intriguing. The athletes stepping into the ring are not the same competitors who met almost three years ago. One seeks to reaffirm his place atop the division, while the other is chasing both redemption and championship glory.
At Inner Circle 21 on Friday, the question is simple: Will it be revenge for Malachiev, or another repeat performance from Pacio?