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Robin Catalan is eyeing a return to the top of the ONE Championship strawweight division by the end of this year.
Catalan hasn't competed in the ONE Circle since January 2021. He is looking to defeat Elipitua Siregar at the upcoming ONE: Heavy Hitters fight card on January 14 in the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
In an interview with ONE Championship, Catalan said:
"My goal this year is to be No. 1 [in the ONE Athlete Rankings] to have a chance to fight for the title belt. It starts in this match and I can say that this will be like a war of lions."
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Consistency has been the biggest hurdle for 'The Illongo' to overcome in his ONE Championship career so far. He is 5-5 in Asia's premier MMA organization and has won two consecutive fights just once during his time in the promotion.
His last win came against Gustavo Valart in November 2019 at the ONE Championship: Masters of Fate event. In it, he produced a sensational knockout.
Catalan came up short in his next match against Ryuto Sawada. He was submitted with a rear-naked choke in the first round.
The Filipino fighter will be desperate to stay active in 2022. At 31, he is entering the prime of his career and cannot afford year-long layoffs if he has aspirations of becoming a champion.
Robin Catalan is eager to bounce back after his loss to Ryuto Sawada in ONE Championship
Heading into his upcoming matchup against Elipitua Siregar, Robin Catalan shared that he has been itching to fight again since his loss to Ryuto Sawada in January 2021.
Catalan claims he was unable to show his full potential against Sawada and is eager to redeem himself when he takes on Siregar. He said:
"In that last fight, I can say that it was bad timing because I injured my right hip a week before the fight. I am hungry like a lion. I know that this time, it will be different and I want to get the win."
The COVID-19 pandemic has prevented a lot of fighters from being as active as they would like. Nevertheless, Catalan claims he has kept himself ready for when he gets the call to fight. He has been sharpening his skills at his gym since his last bout. He added:
"I've kept on training and waiting for more than a year before I got the call for this next fight. And now that I know what's next, I'm so eager to bounce back stronger."
