Joshua Pacio's Rear-Naked Choke Win Over Malachiev Shows What a BJJ-Focused Camp Can Do

Reviewed by BJJ Gyms · Updated 2026-07-27

A Rematch Built Around Fixing One Specific Weakness

Joshua Pacio and Mansur Malachiev had already fought once, and the first encounter left enough open questions that ONE Championship booked the rematch for The Inner Circle 21 at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok on July 10, 2026. Rather than treat the do-over as a formality, Pacio rebuilt his preparation around the exact area where the first fight had exposed him: extended grappling exchanges against a dangerous ground attacker.

That meant more mat time than a typical MMA camp. Pacio spent the buildup competing in outside BJJ tournaments and running what he described as punishing sparring sessions twice a week at Lions Nation MMA, treating those sessions like a proving ground rather than a formality. The strategy paid off in a way that was obvious the moment the fight hit the floor.

Surviving the Face Crank Before Turning the Fight Around

Early in round one, Malachiev caught Pacio in a tight face crank, the same kind of pressure-based submission attempt that can end a fight in seconds if the trapped fighter panics. Pacio did not panic. He worked through the discomfort, followed guidance from his corner, and methodically escaped the position before the hold could do real damage.

Once he freed himself, Pacio flipped the fight's momentum entirely. He took top position, landed a series of ground strikes to open Malachiev up, and then slid into a rear-naked choke. The tap never came; Malachiev went unconscious in Pacio's grip, and the referee stepped in at the 4-minute, 23-second mark of round one.

It is worth pointing out how textbook that sequence was. Escape a bad position, establish top control, create an opening with strikes, then finish with a choke from the back. That is the exact progression taught in most beginner and intermediate BJJ curriculums, just executed at championship-level speed.

Why This Result Matters Beyond One Fight

Pacio's win extends his record and keeps him at the top of the strawweight MMA division, but the bigger story is what the camp says about training priorities. A fighter who already holds a world title chose to spend his preparation grinding through jiu-jitsu tournaments and shark-tank sparring rounds rather than simply drilling the same game plan that got him to the top in the first place.

That decision earned him a $50,000 performance bonus and, more importantly, a clear technical upgrade that showed up exactly when he needed it. It is a reminder that even elite athletes treat grappling development as an ongoing project, not something you finish learning after a certain rank or title run.

The Takeaway for Anyone Who Trains

You do not need a world title on the line to benefit from the same approach Pacio used. Competing regularly, even at a local level, builds the kind of pressure-tested instincts that are hard to replicate through drilling alone. If escaping bad positions and finishing from the back sounds like something you would like to get better at, the fastest way to start is to find a gym near you and get on the mats.

Use the gym finder at BJJGyms.org to locate a BJJ or no-gi academy in your area, including 10th Planet locations if you are drawn to a leg lock and scramble-heavy no-gi curriculum. Most gyms will let you try a class for free before you commit to anything.

5 Grappling Lessons from the Pacio-Malachiev Rematch

There is more to learn from this fight than just the final result. Here are the technical and mental takeaways worth studying.

1. Staying Calm Under a Face Crank: Panicking in a tight submission attempt almost always makes things worse. Pacio's composure while escaping gave him the time he needed to turn the fight around.
2. Extra Competition Reps Add Up: Pacio's camp leaned on outside BJJ tournament matches rather than only sparring, a reminder that live competition experience builds instincts drilling cannot.
3. Ground Strikes Set Up Submissions: The ground-and-pound before the choke was not just damage. It opened the exact space Pacio needed to lock in the finish.
4. The Back Is a Money Position for a Reason: Once Pacio established control from behind, the rear-naked choke was almost inevitable, which is exactly why coaches drill back attacks so heavily.
5. A Title Does Not Mean You Stop Developing: Pacio treated this camp as a chance to fix a specific weakness rather than coast on past success, a mindset that applies at every level of the sport.

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