Updated:2025-02-05 11:31Views:69
ONE Championship ONE Championship California native Diego Paez is the next American Muay Thai standout to bring his talent to the world’s largest martial arts organization.hot646
On February 7, in U.S. primetime at ONE Fight Night 28: Prajanchai vs. Barboza on Prime Video, he will square off with Sean “The One” Climaco in a flyweight Muay Thai tilt.
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Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey expressed his enthusiasm and stated: "This bilateral series against Germany will be a remarkable showcase of world-class hockey. Both India and Germany have a rich history in the sport, and this series will give fans an opportunity to witness an intense competition between two of the most formidable teams in the world.
That contest will take placed at the historic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand and will be Paez’s opportunity to make a splash in his hotly anticipated debut on the global stage.
Before he goes toe-to-toe with Climaco, the 31-year-old rising star spoke to onefc.com about his journey to ONE Championship’s bright lights.
The Little BrotherThe son of hard-working Colombian immigrants, the athletically gifted and naturally competitive Paez grew up as the youngest in a family of boys. While he admitted that his father was a strict and often harsh disciplinarian, he wouldn’t have it any other way.
He explained:
“I played football as a kid, and I always had a passion for skateboarding when I was younger. I grew up in a home being the little brother, so it was also a bit rougher for me being the smallest. My dad was very old school, so he was a bit hard on us but all in good faith and I’m grateful for my upbringing. I was very active as a kid. I was very competitive and then I was in my early teens when I found Muay Thai.”
Paez’s brothers were hard on him, as well. Again, though, he looks back on his upbringing fondly.
He said that while he might have been picked on at home – just like any other younger brother – his older brothers always kept him safe at school:
“I was more so bullied at home, and I think that allowed me not to get bullied in school because I always had brothers, and you know how it is growing up with older brothers. People don’t want to step on any toes. I was more so bullied by my brothers but in a loving way, I don’t want to make it seem like I had it really bad.”
Finding His Passion In Martial ArtsPaez, his brothers, and his father all enjoyed watching boxing and MMA, and the family toyed around with the idea of trying martial arts for themselves for some time.
Eventually, the family’s matriarch took her sons to an MMA gym to officially sign up. For Paez, the rest is history:
“It wasn’t until my mom took us to a gym, signed us up all together, and we stepped foot into the martial arts space as a family. I want to say I was around 12 or 13 years old.
“It was an MMA gym, but I slowly weeded out the disciplines after dabbling into all of them, eventually realizing that striking was my favorite.”
Indeed, Paez had an immediate and insatiable passion for the striking arts. While some young martial artists might need to experience their first competitive success to know that their future lies in fighting, that certainly wasn’t the case with Paez.
Quite the opposite, he knew from the “very first day” that he had found his calling in martial arts.
His first step into the gym, he said, was his first step on his climb to the global stage of ONE Championship:
“The day I stepped foot in the gym – the very first day – that was the difference between my brothers and me. I remember really wanting to chase this as a profession and in school I always had trouble being myself, whereas in the gym, I truly felt like myself and I was able to blossom and flourish into the human that I am today.”
Losing His MotherConfident in his choice to pursue Muay Thai full-time, Paez rocketed through the amateur ranks and has enjoyed an impressive start to his professional career.
His journey hasn’t been without heartbreak, though. Twelve years ago, his mother lost her battle with pancreatic cancer.
The loss of his mother has shaped Paez in a profound way:
“Watching her go through her battle with pancreatic cancer for two years was something that I’m still processing to this day. I think it played a huge role into who I am today because back then I would just block out things that were happening, I used to think that my parents were immortal, and I used to think I was invincible. Seeing how life can change in the blink of an eye was humbling.”
Despite the devastating loss of his biggest fan and most consistent supporter, Paez has used the memory of his mother to motivate him toward greatness.
He specifically recalls a conversation he had with her in which he assured her he had found his passion in life – and he promised to continue to chase his goals after she was gone:
“It was really hard for her to let go because she was worried for me and my brothers, especially me being the baby at 19, and I remember having an important conversation with her during one of her last days. She was really worried, but I told her that I didn’t want her to suffer and that I was going to be okay because I had found my passion.
“I’ve owed it to myself to live up to that and own my word and to use that as a motivator whenever times get tough, I just think of her and her battle, along with everything she did for me and I’m a man of my word. I’ve lived up to it thus far and I’ll continue to do so.”
Paez Says Fighting In ONE ‘Feels Like Destiny’Paez will undoubtedly be carrying his mother’s memory with him when he makes his global debut at ONE Fight Night 28.
He said that simply making it to ONE Championship is a dream come true, but he’s even more excited to be facing Climaco for his first appearance in the organization. The pair has fought twice before on the California regional scene, with Climaco winning the first bout and the second ending in a draw.
Paez spoke about what it means to be competing in ONE:
casino free spins no deposit“It feels like destiny. I’ve always wanted to fight on the world stage to prove not only to myself but to my students and my family that you can do it, and you can be who you want to be as long as you believe and put in the work. For me, this is a huge one because there’s history with Sean Climaco and I’ve been trying to fight for ONE for a while.”
A well-rounded and dynamic striker who is just as capable of throwing a spinning back kick as he is a show-stopping straight punch, Paez has all the makings of an all-action fan-favorite.
He said that however his fight against Climaco plays out on February 7, fans can look forward to an entertaining encounter:
“Expect the unexpected. I always go out there and do something big. I’m not going to sit here and plan on knocking him out with my elbow or my fist, or my leg. All I know is something big will come from it, it always does. Expect a good show.”
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