PH’s Catalan hopes to get ONE title shot if he beats Indonesian foe

Rene Catalan. Photo from ONE Championship

Rene Catalan’s year is already off to a promising start as he is set to face strawweight contender Adrian Matheis in the undercard of ONE: Quest for Power set next Saturday in Jakarta, Indonesia.

For the 38-year-old, however, his fight against the Indonesian is his stepping stone for a potential title match.

Catalan hopes a win over Matheis would secure him a title shot against ONE strawweight champion Yoshitaka Naito.

“Every fighter dreams to become a world champion and I really hope that ONE Championship will give me an opportunity to fight for the title in the future,” said Catalan. “This fight might be the door to a world title. Let us all hope for the best.” 

Catalan (1-2) began his ONE career with two straight losses but bounced back taking a unanimous decision win over Zhang You Liang, while Matheis (2-0) is already in the running as a possible opponent of Naito.

Matheis won the ONE: Titles & Titans Strawweight Tournament where the 23-year-old defeated compatriots Rustam Hutajulu and Roso Nugroho, both via technical knockouts.

A win over Catalan could bolster his title chance against the 12-0 Naito.

Catalan, however, plans to impede Matheis’ title bid and take the opportunity to face the Japanese champion.

“I want that opportunity to fight for the title, if he wins he might get the title shot that I seek,” said Catalan. “You never know if your next fight will be a title fight and that’s why you have to give your best in every fight.”