‘I’m Fully Devoted To Him’ – Fatherhood, Footwork, And The Bond That Drives Diego Paez And His Son
When ONE Fight Night 40: Buntan vs. Hemetsberger II takes over Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium on Friday, February 13, Diego Paez will step into the ring for a flyweight Muay Thai clash against Black Panther.
The match itself, which broadcasts live in U.S. primetime, will be measured in rounds and minutes. What fuels it, however, has been building for nearly a decade.
Away from the lights and cameras, Paez’s life is anchored by fatherhood. Over the past few years, fans have become familiar with a different side of the Colombian-American striker through social media, where training clips regularly feature his nine-year-old son, Elias, calmly drilling Muay Thai techniques with a sharpness that belies his age.
Several of those videos have exploded online, drawing millions of views. They resonate not because they are staged or flashy, but because they capture something precious – a father teaching, a son learning, and a bond strengthened through time spent together.
For the 32-year-old Paez, that relationship sits at the center of everything he does:
“It’s everything to me. I bring him everywhere with me. It’s crazy because I’m his father, but you learn a lot when you have a child. They don’t even realize that they’re like a coach as well, because I’m learning as I go.
“This is my only child, but I’m fully devoted to him, his development, and everything for him. I’m always there, no matter what. I never miss anything when it comes to him, and I love it. I’m grateful to have him. It made me a better man.”
Paez turned professional in 2017 following an undefeated amateur run, and that period of his life coincided closely with becoming a father. Rather than pulling him in opposite directions, those responsibilities evolved together.
Long before his son could throw a punch, he was already immersed in the gym atmosphere. Paez recalls holding pads for Elias’ mother while she was pregnant, then bringing his child along to training sessions as an infant.
Paez said:
“It happened when he was in the womb. I used to hold pads for his baby mama. He’s always been in the environment, as soon as he was born. Mind you, his mom works corporate, so she works full time, and at the time, I was just an up-and-coming fighter and coach as well.
“So, I’d bring him with me everywhere I went. If I was coaching, he’d be in a little car seat in the gym, watching me coach. If I was training, he’d be there in a car seat, watching me train. So, he grew up in the gym. As soon as he could walk, he knew how to punch, how to kick, how to do all that good stuff. And then, I just poured into that cup.”
As Elias grew older, that exposure turned into genuine enthusiasm. Paez splits custody with Elias’ mother, but even during weeks apart, the phone calls still come.
Surrounded by uncles who are also fighters, Elias naturally gravitates toward the gym, eager to join sessions and mirror what he sees. While the Colombian-American star is careful not to rush his son into competition, he recognizes the instinct immediately.
The Classic Fight Team representative said:
“He always wants to train. I’ll get calls from him when he’s with his mom asking if he can come train with us, if he can come take my class. And he does all the time. So, he loves to train, especially when he sees us training.
“I have two brothers, and we’re all fighters. So, every time we’re getting a session in, he always wants to chime in and join along. He loves it. He wants to compete really bad, but I just want him to develop completely and get a little bit more maturity under him.”
Empower: Turning Family Values Into A Platform
That same family-driven approach to Muay Thai eventually pushed Diego Paez beyond competition and into entrepreneurship.
This past January – just weeks before his bout against Black Panther at ONE Fight Night 40 – the California native officially launched Empower, an online training platform designed to teach Muay Thai fundamentals while helping parents build structure, confidence, and discipline at home.
The idea didn’t begin as a business plan. As the father-and-son training clips gained traction online, Paez found himself fielding the same questions from fans about teaching their kids martial arts.
Rather than answering those questions one by one, he decided to build something scalable.
Paez said:
“We want to be a light in the world, for sure. I want to empower people to be the best that they can be, to be devoted to their family, and the whole company and business brand is based around my son and I, like a family brand. I wanted to keep it close, to keep us together, and something where he can carry the torch down the line.”
Empower includes equipment, as the company previously launched its line of gloves last year. But at its core, the brand is all about education.
The online academy features instructional videos covering stances, movement, and striking, alongside content specifically aimed at parents who want to introduce martial arts to their children in a healthy, sustainable way.
Paez said:
“I break down all the steps on where I started and what I recommend people to start with – from how to stand properly, a fight stance, fight base, all the way to all the fundamental strikes. And then, I have a lot of breakdown videos on how I got my son to get engaged. Like, ‘How do I get him to want to train?’ That’s people’s biggest hurdle, I feel.
“It’s been quite the process, but honestly, I enjoy it. I love it, and I know one day I’m going to look back and smile.”
