ONE: Filipino fighter Catalan loses in 1st round to Thai foe

Rabin Catalan gets pummeled by his Thai foe Kritsada Kongsrichai at ONE: Warriors of the World at Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand. Photo from ONE Championship.

BANGKOK — The Filipinos’ campaign at ONE: Warriors of the World started off on the wrong foot after Rabin Catalan lost to his Thai foe in the preliminary fights Saturday at Impact Arena here.

The 31-year-old Catalan (4-4) got dominated by hometown bet Kritsada Kongsrichai (6-3) with the referee stopping the bout due to strikes at the 3:01 mark of the first round.

The Ilonggo fighter, whose losing skid continued, was unable to match his Thai foe from the get-go as he found himself on the ground early as Kongsrichai pummelled him with elbows.

Meanwhile, Yodsanan Sityodtong (4-1) floored Dodi Mardian (0-1) with a killer left straight to score the knockout victory at the 1:32 mark of the first round.

Chinese fighter Tang De Pan also preserved his immaculate record as he beat debuting Asraful Islam of Bangladesh via unanimous decision.