"It would be a pleasure to punch his face" - Gustavo Balart open to rematch with Robin Catalan on one condition

Gustavo Balart is interested in getting a win back from Robin Catalan, but he believes that they are in different places in their careers right now.

Catalan heads for battle at ONE 157: Petchmorakot vs. Vienot on Friday, May 20, and he expressed a desire to rematch with the no.4-ranked Balart in his next outing. However, the Cuban dynamo said he has nothing much to gain by fighting 'The Ilonggo' again.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Gustavo Balart said he’ll want to win the world title first before considering a rematch with Catalan:

“I am focused on the ONE Championship belt, and a fight against Catalan would push me away from the main goal because he is not one of the best fighters in my division. It would be interesting to fight him, but only after I achieve my goal of being the king of the division. I would grant him the rematch [Laughs] because, in my head, I won that fight against Catalan.”

The Filipino warrior knocked out Balart in 2019 with a spectacular head kick that immediately put a stop to the contest. It’s a badge of honor that Catalan wears, but Balart believes it was just a lucky shot:

“He can say anything he wants. His victory against me was just a lucky shot because many things happened to me leading up to that fight. I was easily dominating that fight. Yes, I'd like to have the chance to fight him again. It would be a pleasure to punch his face, being my best version in all aspects. I'd like to show the world that his victory over me was just [due to] a lucky shot.”

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Robin Catalan must get past Elipitua Siregar first

Robin Catalan is outside the top-five rankings right now and needs to collect some wins to get in position to challenge Gustavo Balart and the rest of the fighters in the upper echelon of the division.

His first chance will be on Friday, May 20, when he takes on Elipitua Siregar in the opening match of ONE 157.

The two men were slated to face each other earlier this year before Catalan pulled out at the last minute due to health and safety protocols. As such, ‘The Ilonggo’ will be well-prepared for his bout after a long training camp.

Boosting his stock with a win could help Robin Catalan become a more appealing opponent for Gustavo Balart with their common goal of reaching the top of the division.