Rene Catalan pulling double duty at ONE: QUEST FOR GREATNESS
Rene “The Challenger” Catalan (2-2, 1 NC) never planned to compete in full-blown martial arts competition.
As a longtime member of the Philippines’ National Wushu Team, he was more concerned about helping others reach their full potential.
“I did not have plans to compete in martial arts,” the 38-year-old says. “I actually planned to coach all over the world.”
Over the course of the next few years, Catalan was able to follow his dreams, and served as one of the main coaches for the Canadian National Team and the Beijing Empire MMA club, as well as his brothers’ respective martial arts careers.
In 2013, he swayed his siblings into creating Catalan Fighting Systems, and ultimately, that led him to finally enter the cage as a competitor.
“We had already made history for the Philippines by winning multiple world championships in Muay Thai and wushu-sanda, and we had even coached in martial arts,” he explains. “So I said to my brothers: ‘let’s create our own brand with no managers. We will carry our own name, and not fight for gyms who are just going to use us.’”
Catalan made his professional debut in April 2013, just before the start of their gym. It did not go well, as he lost two of his first three bouts, while another was declared a No Contest. The Filipino never let his spirits sink despite the slow start, partially because he knew exactly how he was going to fix it.
“I had been part of the national team for too long to know that I could still improve,” he states. “In my first three bout, I ate a bit, slept a bit, taught a bit, and trained a bit. Any athlete who teaches, works, and trains at the same time will not improve. What I did was hire coaches who would help me train our guys, and at the same time, help me prepare for matches. “
At ONE: UNBREAKABLE WARRIORS, “The Challenger” showed that improvement by picking up his first victory against Chinese prospect Zhang You Liang in September 2016. Four months later, he tapped out young Indonesian talent Adrian Matheis.
“My motivation was my age,” he says. “I started my career late, and I am not getting any younger, but my goal is still to become the champion. I had to show that I still have what it takes.”
Catalan’s goal can only be granted with a shot at the ONE Strawweight World Title, and he knows that putting together a string of victories will help him get closer to achieving that.
He will attempt to build off his two-bout winning streak when he locks horns with Bu Huo You Ga (4-2) at ONE: QUEST FOR GREATNESS. The event will air live from the Stadium Negara in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Friday, 18 August.
The 25-year-old Bu has been a full-time athlete since the age of 13, competing in Greco-Roman Wrestling, as well as wushu-sanda, jiu-jitsu and kung fu. He previously captured the ONE Hefei Flyweight Tournament Champion, and is riding a three-bout winning streak coming into this bout.
Catalan has been training his entire life, and knows that Bu brings a lot to the cage. But the Filipino believes he will be one step ahead of the China native come 18 August.
“I may not have much experience in the cage, but I do have a rich background in wushu-sanda and boxing,” he shares. “I am coming in with a game plan, much like my opponent. If I cannot take it one way, I am going to take it another. My goal is to win. I carry with me the pride of the Filipino people. I will do whatever it takes to win.”
Adding even more stress to the mix, Catalan’s younger brother, Robin, will be facing former ONE Strawweight World Champion Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke later in the evening. This will be the first time that the two are competing on the same card.
Not only will “The Challenger” be worried about his own match, but he will reappear within hours to corner his younger sibling.
“There is pressure, definitely, both as a coach and as an athlete,” he says. “As a coach, I am thinking about my athlete’s performances. And as a athlete, there is the pressure to win and carry Filipino pride on my shoulders.”
