Tag: ONE Championship

Rene “The Challenger” Catalan’s beginnings at ONE Championship left a lot to be desired, but that is all in the past now.

What matters is the present, and Catalan is finally primed for the biggest match of his career.

He is set to take on former ONE Strawweight World Champion Yoshitaka “Nobita” Naito on the undercard of ONE: REIGN OF VALOR on 8 March at the Thuwunna Indoor Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar.

Currently riding on a five-match winning run, Catalan now sets his sights on the crafty Naito, with a World Title shot in the horizon if he manages to defeat his Japanese opponent.

“I am looking to showcase my best form yet against Naito, a former World Champion,” said the former Asian Games gold medalist.

“Our focus in training is how to stop his takedown attempts. Naito will surely want this fight on the ground, it is my job to make sure he doesn’t get a submission when we are on the mat.”

After an illustrious wushu career with the Philippine National Team, which saw him bag medals in Doha, Qatar 13 years ago, Catalan finally ventured into mixed martial arts and he struggled heavily at first.

He started with a 0-2-1 record in The Home Of Martial Arts before finally adjusting and getting his momentum.

Now, the Iloilo City native gets his biggest challenge, as he takes on Naito, who remains to be one of the most dangerous athletes in the weight class.

Naito’s resume is made up of wins over former World Champions, including Team Lakay’s Joshua Pacio, Thailand’s Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke, and Brazil’s Alex Silva.

As impressive as Naito’s resume is, Catalan is left unfazed as he plans to leave Myanmar a winner.

“Fans can expect a strong performance from me on fight night,” he said. “I am hungry to challenge for the ONE Strawweight World Title.”

The post Rene Catalan Puts Streak On The Line Against Yoshitaka Naito In Yangon appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Rene “The Challenger” Catalan’s beginnings at ONE Championship left a lot to be desired, but that is all in the past now.

What matters is the present, and Catalan is finally primed for the biggest match of his career.

He is set to take on former ONE Strawweight World Champion Yoshitaka “Nobita” Naito on the undercard of ONE: REIGN OF VALOR on 8 March at the Thuwunna Indoor Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar.

Currently riding on a five-match winning run, Catalan now sets his sights on the crafty Naito, with a World Title shot in the horizon if he manages to defeat his Japanese opponent.

“I am looking to showcase my best form yet against Naito, a former World Champion,” said the former Asian Games gold medalist.

“Our focus in training is how to stop his takedown attempts. Naito will surely want this fight on the ground, it is my job to make sure he doesn’t get a submission when we are on the mat.”

After an illustrious wushu career with the Philippine National Team, which saw him bag medals in Doha, Qatar 13 years ago, Catalan finally ventured into mixed martial arts and he struggled heavily at first.

He started with a 0-2-1 record in The Home Of Martial Arts before finally adjusting and getting his momentum.

Now, the Iloilo City native gets his biggest challenge, as he takes on Naito, who remains to be one of the most dangerous athletes in the weight class.

Naito’s resume is made up of wins over former World Champions, including Team Lakay’s Joshua Pacio, Thailand’s Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke, and Brazil’s Alex Silva.

As impressive as Naito’s resume is, Catalan is left unfazed as he plans to leave Myanmar a winner.

“Fans can expect a strong performance from me on fight night,” he said. “I am hungry to challenge for the ONE Strawweight World Title.”

The post Rene Catalan Puts Streak On The Line Against Yoshitaka Naito In Yangon appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

China’s Han Zi Hao has come a long way since his days scouring the streets of Bangkok for loose coins to buy extra food to keep his hunger pangs at bay.

The sacrifices Han made in his youth and the struggles he overcame have helped mold the man and the athlete he is now.

The 23-year-old may be one of the youngest athletes on the ONE Super Series roster, but his natural talent and relentless drive to win have skyrocketed him onto the world stage and into a world title shot.

Han is scheduled to meet Muay Thai superstar Nong-O Gaiyanghadao on 16 February at ONE: CLASH OF LEGENDS for the inaugural ONE Super Series Bantamweight Muay Thai World Championship.

The bout will take place in Bangkok, Han’s second home since he arrived in Thailand, aged 14 almost a decade ago.

Han has lived in the country long enough to have heard stories about the legend that is Nong-O Gaiyanghadao. The 32-year old Thai has won almost everything that is worth winning in Muay Thai, often on multiple occasions.

The four-time Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai World Champion will enter the bout against Han as the odds on favorite.

However, beating the odds is something Han has become accustomed to ever since he left China to pursue his dream of becoming a professional Muay Thai athlete.

“After the first week or so in Thailand, I began to miss home. I felt so far away from home in this new country,” he said in an interview with ONEFC.com.

“Sometimes, I cried hiding under the blanket. [When I called home] I told my parents that I was doing fine in Thailand and they shouldn’t worry. However, right after hanging up the phone, I felt so sad and couldn’t help crying.

“I had a determination that I would not go home no matter how hard it was, and I would hide the thought of going home even if I wanted to.”

Han persevered in the face of adversity. He focused his energy into improving himself as a martial artist and was soon racking up wins and capturing regional titles.

The Chinese athlete’s success inside the ring helped make the transition to living in Thailand easier.

His thoughts soon become less about how much he missed home, and more about what he could to do to make those back home proud of his accomplishments.

“My first coach used to tell me, ‘Young children rely on their parents to gain respect. Once grown up, they should honor their parents.

“This is the reason that keeps me going all these years. I want to honor my hometown and my country with this profession, and I want to grow stronger so that I can provide a better life for my family.”

A product of Mad Muay Thai Gym,  Han has been unstoppable since arriving in the ONE Super Series. In November, he became the first ONE Super Series athlete to achieve three victories in the Super Series after a first-round stoppage of Malaysia’s Azwan Che Wil at ONE:  CONQUEST OF CHAMPIONS.

On 16 February, he will get another chance to engrave his name into the history books by becoming the inaugural ONE Super Series Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion.

The post China’s Han Zi Hao’s Has Gone From Hunting For Extra Food To Hunting For World Title appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

The ONE Championship featherweight division may have a new star on its hands in South Korea’s “Pretty Boy” Kwon Won Il.

The undefeated 23-year-old athlete stunned both media and fans in his promotional debut with a first-round stoppage of Anthony “The Archangel” Engelen at ONE: ETERNAL GLORY.

Kwon’s precision striking was an impressive sight to behold, and his performance backed up the hype which had surrounded the South Korean leading into the bout.

The ONE matchmakers have now given “Pretty Boy” a chance to increase his stock value even higher by booking him against one of the legends of the sport in Masakazu “ Ashikan Judan” Imanari.

The pair are set to clash on 22 February at ONE: CALL TO GREATNESS inside Singapore’s Indoor Stadium, with Kwon riding an eight-bout winning streak into the contest.

The event will be headlined by Thailand’s Stamp Fairtex and America’s Janet Todd  competing for the inaugural ONE Super Series Muay Thai Atomweight World Title.

The 13-bout card is shaping to be the biggest ONE card yet of 2019, and the inclusion of the Kwon – Imanari bout has heightened anticipation amongst fans for the event.

Imanari is coming off a recent first-round submission victory over Singapore’s Radeem Rahman at ONE: PURSUIT OF GREATNESS. With over 37 career victories to his name, he is already assured of a spot in the mixed martial arts hall of fame.

At 42-years-of age, the Tokyo based athlete isn’t about to hang up his gloves just yet.  “Ashikan Judan” will be looking to show the world that he is still a genuine threat in the division and not merely a gatekeeper for up and coming athletes.

The Japanese grappling dynamo has faced almost every possible challenge a mixed martial artist can face inside the cage, and he will feel confident of dealing with whatever Kwon’s throws at him on the night.

As talented as Kwon is, he has yet to share the ring with an athlete as experienced or as skilled as Imanari. He has also never faced a grappler anywhere near the level of Imanari.

If the bout does go to the ground, then the South Korean will find himself sailing in uncharted waters, which will give everyone a chance to see how he copes when under pressure.

ONE’s Singapore events have a reputation for producing classic encounters, and because of this, they draw substantial viewership numbers. If Kwon wanted an opportunity to showcase his abilities to a worldwide audience of millions, then he has it.

The post South Korea’s Kwon Won Il Looks To Continue Eight Bout Winning Streak? appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.