RENE “The Challenger” Catalan offered no excuses after being on the wrong end of a highlight-reel knockout at ONE: BIG BANG.
The former ONE Strawweight World Title contender dropped a 37-second KO loss at the hands of Bokang “Little Giant” Masunyane in the Singapore Indoor Stadium last Friday, 4 December.
Catalan came in more ready than when he faced compatriot Joshua “The Passion” Pacio for the ONE Strawweight World Title last November. It simply just wasn’t his night.
“Actually, I was really prepared for this. I was confident about my cardio. I prepared better than I did against Pacio. Even though we were in lockdown, I was still able to prepare well,” Catalan said.
“If you look at all my previous preparations, this is probably the best I’ve had in years. I just didn’t expect that knockout to happen.”
After Masunyane dominated Ryuto “Dragon Boy” Sawada with his takedowns, Catalan expected his foe to focus on wrestling – but the South African surprised him.
“I know he’s a high-level wrestler. I wasn’t really expecting him to kick,” Catalan said.
“I was just trying to move out and escape. I was expecting him to shoot after that, but I didn’t expect him to throw a head kick.”
Still, the former Asian Games wushu gold medalist is confident about his future.
Turning 42 in a few days, Catalan believes he still has a long way to go when it comes to his mixed martial arts career. For as long as he remains disciplined and hungry, he thinks he’ll get back to title contention soon enough.
“It’s not really about the age but about the discipline. When you age, things get a bit harder when it comes to recovery and stamina, but those effects are mitigated with good discipline,” Catalan said.
“Being the founder of this gym, I remain motivated. Helping my athletes each day motivates me to keep on training. I just have to remain focused so I can elevate my team to new heights, like Team Lakay did.”
Up next, watch the previously recorded ONE: BIG BANG II on One Sports+ or the ONE Super App at 8:30 p.m. Philippine Standard Time (PHT). Also, One Sports will cut into the broadcast at 9 p.m. PHT.
Additionally, TV5 will air the event on a next-day delay at 11 p.m. PHT on Saturday, 12 December.
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