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Rene “The Challenger” Catalan will challenge Joshua “The Passion” Pacio, an opponent nearly two decades younger than he is, for the ONE Strawweight World Title at ONE: MASTERS OF FATE on Friday, 8 November at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines.
Many people believe the younger Pacio is more skilled, especially on the ground. Catalan, however, thinks otherwise.
“I am 100% confident that my ground game is superior to his,” Catalan said.
“Our gym teaches multiple disciplines of martial arts, and grappling is one of them. I have been training and working on my ground game for a longer period, so I am not worried about being submitted. Joshua may have more submissions wins than I, but things will be different when we meet.”
Catalan is a multiple-time Wushu World Champion and the owner and founder of Catalan Fighting Systems. “The Challenger” is currently enjoying a 3-year, 6-bout winning streak, which has led him to this title shot.
The older athlete is confident he can match up with Pacio and that he has the skills to win the belt.
“It does not matter where the match goes because I know that I will win. I have the striking skills that I can rely on, and my wrestling is also dependable. No matter how I look at it, I can dominate Joshua in every angle,” he added.
Catalan will achieve a lifelong dream of becoming a world champion if he unseats a Team Lakay champion. A loss will send him crashing through the ranks, but a victory would cement his legacy as a Filipino martial arts pioneer and legend.
“Joshua is still human who can be defeated. It happened before, and it can happen again when we meet. We have similar backgrounds in wushu, but I believe that I am more well-rounded than Joshua. I also have a lot more experience which will come to my advantage on the night of the event,” Catalan concluded.
“Winning the world title will be a dream come true for me. It proves that if you focus and dedicate yourself to your goals, you can achieve anything. Joshua had his turn with the belt, now is the dawn of a new champion. I want to let the world know that the Catalan Fighting System is also full of world-class athletes. I am going all out for this match, so you guys better watch out.”
