The 32-year-old, who trains with the famed Classic Fight Team in Southern California, discussed his dedication to his only child and the viral social media videos documenting their training sessions together. Paez shares custody with Elias’ mother after their divorce about five years ago.
The California-based forward made his ONE Championship debut in February 2025 with a close split-decision loss to Sean Climaco, before rebounding with a hard-fought split-decision victory over teenage phenom Johan Ghazali.
Paez credits fatherhood for personal growth
When discussing his relationship with Elias, Paez described his complete dedication to his son’s development and presence in every aspect of his life. The Colombian-American star revealed how becoming a father transformed him as a person and an athlete.
“This is my only child, but I am completely devoted to him, his development and everything for him. I am always there no matter what. I never miss anything when it comes to him, and I love it. I am grateful to have him. It has made me a better man,” said Paez.
The 32-year-old juggles his fighting career with parenting responsibilities. Paez’s dedication to being there for his son shows how fighters handle personal obligations in addition to professional competition at the sport’s highest levels.
Striker introduces son to martial arts before birth
Paez explained how his son experienced the training environment even before he was born. The Colombian-American described holding pads for Elias’ mother during pregnancy, which created early connections between his child and martial arts.
“It happened while he was still in the womb. I was holding sanitary pads for his baby mama. He has always been around, as soon as he was born,” Paez said.
Shortly after Elias was born, Paez would often take his son to the gym while he was teaching classes with the Classic Fight Team or when he was training in preparation for a fight. The youngster sat in a car seat watching his father handle business.
Training videos inspire global audiences on social media
When discussing the social media reactions to his training content with Elias, Paez expressed his gratitude for the positive response and widespread inspiration their videos generate. The 32-year-old fighter unveiled a specific video documenting their progress and it received a lot of attention.
“I posted one about how we started and where we are now, and it’s gotten so much attention. It’s super cool to see how many people we really inspire and how many people are touched by our videos. It’s really worth it,” Paez said.
Several of those videos have been viewed millions of times. As a result, earlier this year Paez and his son launched Empower, an online academy that offers instruction in Muay Thai and advice to parents on how to keep their children engaged.
Be sure to catch Paez at ONE Fight Night 40, which airs live on Prime Video on Friday, February 13. The action starts at 8:00 PM ET/5:00 PM PT. The event is free for all Amazon Prime subscribers in the US and Canada.
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