JAKARTA – Ramdam ni Pinoy fighter Rene Catalan na panahon na para tanghalin siyang world champion.
At magagawa niya ito kung magiging tuso at handa sa paglaban kay Adrian Matheis sa undercard ng ONE: Quest for Power sa Enero 14 sa Jakarta Convention Center sa Indonesia.
Target ni Catalan ang panalo kay Matheis upang makuha ang pagkakataon na makaharap si Yoshitaka Naito para sa ONE Strawweight World Championship belt.
“Every fighter dreams to become a world champion. I really hope that ONE Championship will give me an opportunity to fight for the title in the future. This fight might be the door to a world title fight. Let us all hope for the best,” pahayag ni Catalan.
Si Matheis ang isa sa pinagpipiliang sumabak kay Naito nang magwagi ito sa ONE: Titles & Titans Strawweight Tournament noong Agosto. Ginapi ng 23-anyos Indonesian standout ang kababayang sina Rustam Hutajulu at Roso Nugroho sa dominanteng knockout win.
Ang pagwawagi kay Catalan ang magpapatibay sa kanyang hangaring maging challenger sa ONE Strawweight World Championship.
“I want that opportunity to fight for the title. If he wins, he might get the title shot that I seek. You will never know if your next fight will be a title fight. That’s why you have to give your best in every fight,” sambit ng pamosong fighter mula sa Iloilo City.
“For this fight, I added more emphasis to my ground game. Even though I am coming off a win, I shouldn’t be complacent. I trained with the best Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners in the country to hone my grappling skills,” aniya.