Highly-Touted Russian Newcomer Enters ONE Strawweight Rankings

ONE Championship's strawweight mixed martial arts division experienced a seismic shift as Russian standout Mansur Malachiev crashed into the rankings to occupy the No. 5 spot following a first-round manhandling of former ranked contender Jeremy Miado

Both men shared the ring at ONE Fight Night 11 this past June, where the 32-year-old Dagestan native authored a promotional debut to remember as he put on a grappling masterclass against the will of the Filipino knockout artist.

Malachiev displayed his smothering ground game and continued to pressure Miado until he finally secured the finish, ultimately submitting his opponent via D'arce choke with just 29 seconds remaining in the first round.

The disappointing setback snapped Miado's remarkable four-fight winning streak, downgrading his professional record to 12-5.

Meanwhile, Malachiev improved to 11-0 and claimed his sixth career win by way of submission.

Moreover, the scintillating victory rewarded him with a seat in the Top Five, replacing Danial Williams in the rankings.

As it stands, the strawweight picture is as follows:

• ONE strawweight champion: Jarred Brooks
• No. 1: Joshua Pacio
• No. 2: Bokang Masunyane
• No. 3: Hiroba Minowa
• No. 4: Gustavo Balart
• No. 5: Mansur Malachiev

Two-division world champion Anatoly Malykhin watched as Malachiev attained his first defining moment on the global stage at ONE Fight Night 11, and he expects his compatriot to vie for the intricately-crafted hardware in the near future.

"It was a wonderful fight! Once again, Malachiev proved that Dagestan wrestling carries a lot of weight and everyone should take it seriously. It was a great debut. What more do you need?" Malykhin said.

"I believe he will fight for the belt soon. He was able to put the strawweight division on notice. A win is always a great statement."

Determining the next challenger for Jarred Brook's ONE strawweight belt will be much clearer in the coming weeks as rumors have it that former division kingpin Joshua Pacio could be facing No. 2-rated Bokang Masunyane in a potential world title eliminator later this year.

There are various hurdles Malachiev must clear before he can get a crack at 26 pounds of gold, but based on his maiden performance under the organization's banner, he poses a potential threat to every challenger seeking to dethrone Brooks