Rene “The Challenger” Catalan is gearing up for the biggest challenge of his mixed martial arts career.
The 40-year-old wushu practitioner is scheduled to face former ONE Strawweight World Champion Yoshitaka “Nobita” Naito on the undercard of ONE: REIGN OF VALOR, which takes place at the Thuwunna Indoor Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar on 8 March.
A victory here for Catalan would put him in line for a shot at the ONE Strawweight World Title, which is currently held by Yosuke Saruta, a shot that seemed almost impossible when he started out with a 0-2-1 record in ONE Championship.
But before he turns that dream into a reality, he needs to hurdle the crafty Naito who’s as tough as any warrior in the division.
Naito has beaten the who’s who of the weight class, with wins over former World Champions Joshua Pacio, Alex Silva and Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke shining brightly on his resume.
Catalan understands that he will be the underdog heading into this contest against Naito, but he assures everyone that nothing is going to stop him from realising his dream.
“I’m physically and mentally ready. I’m two more wins away from becoming a World Champion and I won’t allow Naito to stop me reaching my dream. My hand will be raised in Yangon.”
