Filipino MMA fighter Catalan extends ONE winning streak
THE year 2018 got off to a good start for Filipino mixed martial arts fighter Rene “The Challenger” Catalan as he came out victorious in his battle with China’s Peng Xue Wen by way of a second-round technical knockout due to strikes at ONE Championship’s “King of Courage” in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Saturday night.
The win was the fourth straight for Mr. Catalan (4-2, one no contest), who incidentally was the lone Filipino who fought in Asia’s biggest sports media property’s first offering for the year.
Mr. Catalan showed crisp striking, which he complemented with steady grappling, to get the better of Mr. Peng, who is a Greco Roman champion.
The 39-year- old Catalan cut the fight short in the second round when he was able to land a solid liver shot that immediately dropped his opponent, after which he went for the finish by pounding on Mr. Peng.
The fight was stopped by the referee at the 4:22-minute mark of the second round.
After the fight, Mr. Catalan could not help but express his gratitude for another victory in his cap.
“First of all, I would like to thank God Almighty for bestowing this sweet victory upon me. It’s my fourth straight victory. Who would have thought that I can accomplish this after I went through numerous trials that I encountered in the past? Four straight wins is quite a milestone for me on a global stage like ONE Championship. I can’t explain what I am feeling right now,” said strawweight Catalan, who started his career in ONE with back-to-back losses.
He went on to say that he hopes to build on the momentum he has generated of late to make his way up in the division and possibly contend for the title.
“My preparation for this bout was beneficial to my growth as a martial artist in this sport and in ONE Championship. I am so satisfied as to how I performed. However, I still need to fix a few things as I continue to climb the strawweight ladder of ONE Championship. There is a long list of talented strawweights out there, but I am here to take the challenge. Challenges make me strong,” he said.
Mr. Catalan next wears his coaching hat as he prepares women’s atomweight fighter Jomary Torres, who is set to compete at “ONE: Global Superheroes,” which is ONE’s first event for 2018 in Manila on Jan. 26. —