Team Lakay head coach Mark Sangiao knows they cannot take Rene “The Challenger” Catalan lightly in the upcoming all-Filipino World Title showdown at ONE: Masters of Fate.
Sangiao reminds the reigning ONE Strawweight World Champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio of the dangers Catalan presents ahead of their clash at ONE Championship in the Philippines on November 8.
If there is one thing that makes the 40-year-old dangerous, it is the power he packs in his hands.
“Now this is a good fight. You can’t underestimate Rene because his hands are already proven, particularly his left hand.”
After a 1-2 start in The Home Of Martial Arts, “The Challenger” secured a six-match winning streak and built upon his powerful punches with well-rounded skills.
Catalan’s improvements were on full display when he stopped former ONE Strawweight World Champion Yoshitaka “Nobita” Naito at ONE: REIGN OF VALOR last March. The match punched his ticket to his upcoming World Title showdown with the prodigious talent from Baguio City.
But amid Catalan’s improvements, Sangiao sees some holes in his game — such as his age.
That is where he sees his star student, Pacio, having an advantage. After all, he is 17 years younger than “The Challenger”.
“We’re looking for weaknesses in Rene. We’ve seen some, and I think we should also consider his age. That’s where we’ll work on him,” Sangiao said.
“We’ll treat this as the same. Whether you’re a Filipino or not, wherever we are, we’ll have to prepare for it. He has to treat this fight as if it is his last.”
ONE Championship returns to Manila for one last time this year with ONE: Masters of Fate on November 8 at the Mall Of Asia Arena.
Get your tickets here and use the code “onewarrior” for a 20-percent discount.
Or catch all the action by downloading the ONE Super App.
