Former ONE Strawweight World Title contender Rene “The Challenger” Catalan marks his long-awaited return to ONE Championship in the final card of the organization’s NEXTGEN series.
Catalan takes on former ONE Strawweight World Champion Alex “Little Rock” Silva in a clash between two divisional veterans at the previously taped ONE: NEXTGEN III, which airs on November 16 from the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
The Catalan Fighting System founder is eager to bounce back, especially after being on the wrong end of a highlight-reel finish when he lost to #2-ranked Bokang “Little Giant” Masunyane late last year.
For Catalan, there’s no better way to bounce back than by beating a former World Champion in Silva.
“I’m inspired, there’s a fire in my heart, and I’m eager to bounce back,” Catalan said.
This clash is actually a rematch of their first match back in 2013, where the Brazilian submitted Catalan in under one round. It was the Filipino’s first mixed martial arts bout after a successful international wushu career.
Much has changed between the two fighters since then, and for the better. Silva went on to win the ONE Strawweight World Title in 2017 while Catalan challenged for it after racking up six straight victories in 2019, only to lose to reigning king Joshua “The Passion” Pacio.
Now, they meet eight years later as pillars of the division looking for one more run at the World Title.
In addition to that bout, Team Lakay’s Lito “Thunder Kid” Adiwang finally takes on Jarred “The Monkey God” Brooks in the main event.
Moreover, in the co-main event, former ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion Alaverdi “Babyface Killer” Ramazanov takes on Pongsiri PK.Saenchai Muaythaigym in a three-round Muay Thai bout.
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