Rene Catalan Eyes First 2018 Win for the Philippines in ONE Championship

Wazzup Pilipinas!

With 2018 bringing in a whole new set of good opportunities for local talents in the Philippines, homegrown Filipino combatant Rene “The Challenger” Catalan is looking to kick off the Philippine mixed martial arts scene’s promising new year with a sweet win as he dons the country’s colors on the undercard of ONE: KINGS OF COURAGE.

Catalan squares off with China’s Peng Xue Wen in a three-round strawweight affair at ONE: KINGS OF COURAGE, which takes place at the Jakarta Convention Center in Indonesia on 20 January.

A highly-decorated Wushu practitioner, Catalan seeks to continue his winning ways inside the ONE Championship cage after picking up two noteworthy victories in 2017.

Catalan started his 2017 on a high note by submitting Indonesian prospect Adrian Matheis via a second-round armbar in January before routing China’s Bu Huo You Ga by way of unanimous decision seven months later.

As the lone Filipino representative at ONE Championship’s first live event of 2018, Catalan seeks to tally the country’s first win in Asia’s premier martial arts organization this year.

“I am exerting a tremendous amount of effort in training. I want to keep on winning,” he said. “I am inspired to win my match this coming January 20 because I am representing the Philippines. It is always an honor to fight for my country. My goal in this bout is to win and bring pride to my nation.”

For Catalan, his first trip to the ONE Championship cage this 2018 is another step in his evolution as a martial artist, hoping to keep up his winning streak and inch him closer to a potential shot at the ONE Strawweight World Championship.

“My goal is to compete for the ONE Strawweight World Championship. I know before I get to that stage, I still have a lot of work ahead of me,” he stated.

Catalan had a rough beginning to his tenure in ONE Championship, but over the past year and a half, he has completely turned his career around.

Despite a tough promotional debut under the ONE Championship banner, which saw him lose to now-reigning ONE Strawweight World Champion Alex “Little Rock” Silva, Catalan has rallied back.

Catalan has strung together three consecutive victories since September 2016 and will look to break into the upper echelon of the division when he meets Peng at ONE: KINGS OF COURAGE.

“I have a certain game plan, but I am prepared to defend against his wrestling,” he shared.

Peng is a 2014 Chinese National Youth Grecco Champion who made his promotional debut at ONE: LEGENDS OF THE WORLD in Manila, Philippines last November.

The Chinese standout leaned on his impeccable grappling to overwhelm Cambodia’s Phat Soda before knocking him out with an awe-inspiring suplex halfway through the opening stanza.

Catalan is well aware of his opponent’s grappling expertise and is diligently training to refute his bread-and-butter as well as his explosive skillset.

“I am preparing a solid defense against him, but of course I am mixing in some offense as well. I am not sure if he will expect that I will add a twist to my game, but 80 percent of my preparation is in strength and conditioning,” he explained.

“For this match, I think the strategy will flow once I am in the cage. I will just do my best to get the win, but also provide an exciting bout for the audience to enjoy,” Catalan added.

Catalan expects that if he secures a decisive win over Peng at ONE: KINGS OF COURAGE, it will grant him a rematch with Silva for the ONE Strawweight World Championship belt.

“Every fighter dreams to become a world champion. I really hope that ONE Championship will give me an opportunity to vie for the title in the future. This bout might be the door to a world title contest. Let us all hope for the best,” he ended.

​For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

One: Global Superheroes Set for 26 January in Manila

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship (ONE), has just announced its return to the Mall of Asia Arena on Friday, 26 January. ONE: GLOBAL SUPERHEROES is set to showcase the absolute best in local and international martial arts talent. In the main event, Team Lakay’s Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio will take on Kairat Akhmetov for the interim ONE Flyweight World Championship.

Ticket information for ONE: GLOBAL SUPERHEROES is available at www.onefc.com.

Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “This is the first in four blockbuster events in Manila in 2018, and ONE Championship is looking to kick things off with a spectacular show. Fans of martial arts in the Philippines are among the most passionate in the world, and it is our honor to present the best in local and global martial arts talent. The Mall of Asia Arena will be pulsating with excitement as hometown hero Geje Eustaquio takes on Kairat Akhmetov in a highly-anticipated main event rematch. This time, it’s for the interim ONE Flyweight World Championship.”

Top flyweight contender and former world title challenger Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio of Baguio City, Philippines, is one of the most skilled martial artists in Asia, and a highly-decorated wushu practitioner. His solid striking and grappling skill set has led to huge victories over the course of a seven-year professional career. Training in the high altitudes of the Philippines’ Summer capital, Eustaquio hones his craft alongside world-class teammates at the fabled Team Lakay. Known for his incredible ability to keep calm in the face of adversity, Eustaquio is set to headline ONE: GLOBAL SUPERHEROES opposite former ONE Flyweight World Champion Kairat Akhmetov.

Former ONE Flyweight World Champion Kairat Akhmetov is a veteran martial artist from Almaty, Kazakhstan. The 30-year-old boasts a solid 24-1 professional record amassed during a stellar martial arts career which has seen him dominate his opponents with tenacious wrestling and powerful striking. In his most recent appearance inside the ONE Championship cage, Akhmetov defeated Geje Eustaquio via closely-contested three-round split decision. Now he faces Eustaquio in a rematch, this time for the interim ONE Flyweight World Championship.

22-year-old Joshua Pacio of Baguio City is one of the fastest rising martial arts stars from the Philippines. He is one of the promotion’s most talented strawweights and a proud member of the famed Team Lakay. Pacio is a wushu practitioner with a solid grappling repertoire. All but one of his 10 career victories have come by spectacular finish, which includes five wins by submission and four by devastating knockout. In his most recent bout, Pacio knocked out veteran Roy Doliguez with a second-round spinning back fist. A former ONE Strawweight World Championship Title Challenger, Pacio is looking to bring himself back to title contention with another victory. A tough task is ahead of Pacio, however, as he is slated to lock horns with Pongsiri Mitsatit.

21-year-old Pongsiri “The Smiling Assassin” Mitsatit is an undefeated martial artist from Chiang Mai, Thailand, and was previously a North Thailand Muay Thai champion with a 72-17 record, which included 49 KOs. Since making his professional debut in the cage, the strawweight has amassed an unblemished record of 9-0 with seven knockout triumphs and one submission victory, and made an immediate impact in ONE Championship with first-round finishes over Ye Thway Ne and Rabin Catalan. In his next outing, Mitsatit will share the ONE Championship cage with Joshua Pacio of the Philippines in a three-round strawweight contest.

Featherweight standout Eric “The Natural” Kelly of Baguio City is widely considered one of the best homegrown martial arts athletes to come out of the Philippines. The wushu practitioner combines solid striking techniques with high-level grappling skills, which has resulted in nine impressive submissions and one knockout out of 12 total victories. Kelly’s most impressive showing to date came in a submission win over Rob Lisita in 2014, a performance which earned him the US$50,000 ONE Warrior Bonus. In his next bout, Kelly will face Rafael Nunes.

20-year-old Rafael Nunes is a martial artist from Sao Paulo, Brazil with a 10-1 record. He is the former Premier FC Lightweight Champion and has steamrolled through the competition in his home country with a knack for winning by exciting finish. All but one of Nunes’ 10 wins have ended within the distance. A Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt, Nunes is equally comfortable finishing his opponents by submission or by strikes. He looks to showcase his multifaceted skill set in his next bout, and will face a tough challenge when he takes on veteran Eric Kelly.

27-year-old Bulgarian martial artist Sotir Kichukov is a ONE Championship flyweight contender and former Max Bantamweight Champion. Representing Saigon Sports Club, Kichukov made his promotional debut in December of 2016 at ONE: AGE OF DOMINATION against Mark Striegl. Kichukov, who lives and trains out of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, is set to return to the ONE Championship cage to take on China’s Ma Hao Bin.

24-year-old Chinese national freestyle wrestling champion “The Southern Eagle” Ma Hao Bin is unbeaten inside the ONE Championship cage. Making his professional debut in 2016, Ma took home the ONE: DYNASTY OF CHAMPIONS (CHANGSHA) Flyweight Tournament Championship, defeating Wu Ting Shen and Bu Huo You Ga in a single evening of action. Since then, Ma has strung together an impressive 7-1 professional record which includes four wins by submission and one by knockout. In his last bout, Ma needed just one round to force Eugene Toquero to tap from an armbar. He takes on Sotir Kichukov next.

25-year-old Yago Bryan of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is a former Shooto South American Strawweight Champion who took on former ONE Strawweight World Champion Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke in his promotional debut. A Muay Thai practitioner and wrestler, Bryan features both striking and grappling skills in his arsenal. Making his way back to the ONE Championship cage, Bryan is set to take on Hayato Suzuki.

31-year-old Hayato Suzuki of Saitama, Japan, is a veteran martial artist with an impressive professional record of 17-1 with two draws. Spending the majority of his career competing in his native Japan, Suzuki is known as a highly-skilled competitor with the ability to finish his foes with heavy knockout power and technical grappling skills. Out of 17 wins, Suzuki has finished 12 of his opponents, including seven by submission and five by knockout. He will face Yago Bryan in his next contest.

27-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion Bruno "Pucci Bull" Pucci is a No-Gi world champion from Brazil who is based out of Singapore. Training at Evolve, Pucci is one of ONE Championship’s most skilled featherweights. With an inherent ability to source high-level submission maneuvers from any position in the cage, Pucci is looking for his second straight victory. Famous for finishing all his bouts via rear naked choke, Pucci will take on Emilio Urrutia in his next contest.

Emilio “The Honey Badger” Urrutia is an American martial arts talent from Miami, Florida. The 31-year old made his professional debut in 2013, and has since produced a solid 10-4 record. He the former SFC Bantamweight Champion. A skilled grappler, four of Urrutia’s 10 total victories have come by submission. In his last bout, Urrutia scored a unanimous decision victory over the highly-regarded Edward Kelly. Training out of the renowned Tiger Muay Thai gym in Thailand, Urrutia will now take on Bruno Pucci.

Edward “The Ferocious” Kelly is a 33-year old Filipino martial arts talent and one of the brightest featherweight prospects to emerge from the Philippines. With a complete striking and grappling skill set, Kelly brings Team Lakay’s world-renowned wushu to centerstage as he looks to showcase his expertise inside the ONE Championship cage. Kelly has won three of his last four bouts, all by spectacular finish. He will take on Meas Meul.

27-year-old Meas Meul of Phnom Penh, Cambodia is an undefeated martial artist with a professional record of 6-0. Meul made his ONE Championship debut in 2014, submitting countryman Chan Heng via rear-naked choke. A former KW 2 Champion, Meul is set to put his highly-regarded khun khmer offensive skills on full display when he takes on Edward Kelly.

Rajinder Singh “Knockout” Meena of India is a martial artist competing in the ONE Championship lightweight division. A former SFL Lightweight Champion, all eight of Meena’s victories have come by exciting finish. With a robust grappling skill set, Meena owns five impressive wins by submission and three by knockout. In his next bout, Meena is set to take on rising Chinese star Zhang Ze Hao.

“The Ghost” Zhang Ze Hao of Shanghai is a martial artist from China and one of the top Chinese lightweight prospects He made his promotional debut at ONE CHAMPIONSHIP: SHANGHAI in early September of 2017, finishing compatriot Li Cheng Chao via technical knockout in the third round. Zhang, a proponent at the AMA Shanghai Gym, is a sanda and Brazilian jiu-jitsu and sanda practitioner. He is set to do battle against Rajinder Singh Meena in a three-round lightweight contest.

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

Barrio Fiesta ‘Kalingawan sa Plaza’ Set

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Will the ban on drinking liquor and loud parties within a 300-meter radius from the grand parade route diminish the fun from Sinulog 2018?

The ban brings back attention to the essence of the Sinulog, which is a dance of worship for Cebu’s Patron Senyor Santo Niño, on January 21. But a Philippine fiesta is not complete without the fiesta food and the fun, said Sinulog Executive Committee chairman Councilor Dave Tumulak.

‘Kalingawan sa Plaza,’ the Sinulog fair at Plaza Independencia, is thus a major fiesta component. There will be a variety of food stalls, inflatables and a tartanilla ride for the kids, and nightly entertainment during the Sinulog week, he said.

The following is the schedule for the nightly entertainment:

• January 12 -- Launching program of the Sinulog Festival Queen, Sinulog Idol, and Sinulog Dance Crew
• January 13 – Cultural Show by Department of Education Cebu Province
• January 14 – Cultural Show by Cebu Technological University (CTU) and Indiana Aerospace University
• January 15 – Cultural Show by University of the Visayas and University of Cebu
• January 16 – Cultural Show by Mandaue City College and Mandaue School for the Arts
• January 17 – Cultural Show by Salazar Institute of Technology and Cebu Doctors’ University
• January 17 – Cultural Show by Department of Education Cebu City
• January 17 – Music and Comedy Night by Flexi Finance
• January 18 – Cultural show by University of San Carlos
• January 18 – Variety show by 24/7
• January 18 – Sky Night by Skycable
• January 19 – Cultural Show by University of Southern Philippines Foundation, University of San Jose-Recoletos, and Cebu Institute of Technology University
• January 19 – 6 Cycle Mind and Banda ni Kleggy c/o San Miguel Corp.
• January 20 – Sinulog Idol 2018 Grand Finals
• January 20 – Coke Studio Artists with Coca Cola Philippines
• January 21 – IPI Night
• January 21 – Parokya ni Edgar with Globe Telecom

Besides, Plaza Independecia is outside the 300-meter radius, Tumulak said.

“Imagine the fun of a 6 Cycle Mind, Franco and Parokya ni Edgar concerts at Kalingawan sa Plaza,” Tumulak said.

More than the festive barrio fiesta atmosphere at Plaza Independencia, he pointed out that the place is a short walk from the Basilica del Santo Niño and the Magellan’s Cross.

Both Cebuanos and their visitors will be treated with the presence of heritage sites especially Fort San Pedro. It connects us better with our history, that of the Sinulog and who we are, he added.

Cebu City had become the first Christian community in South East Asia after the explorer Ferdinand Magellan arrived and baptized some 800 Cebuanos in 1521. The image of Senyor Santo Niño was Magellan’s baptismal gift to Cebu’s Queen Juana. It is now the oldest religious relic in the country.

With rise of the ASEAN community, Cebu can claim as the region’s cradle of Christianity.

In addition, the arrival of Magellan gave Cebu a place in world history since Spanish expedition achieved the first circumnavigation of the world.

Sinulog 2018 is made possible with the valuable assistance of our sponsors: Smart / PLDT / Sun; Sky Cable; Coca Cola; SM City Cebu/SM Seaside City; Flexi Finance; San Miguel Corporation; Islands Group; International Pharmaceuticals Inc.; Grab Car; Pepsi; Skygo; Robinson's Galleria; Alcordo Advertising; 24/7 Inc; Cebu Cordova Link Expressway Corp.; Cignal; Freenet; Generika Drugstore; Globe; Phil Health; Skin Magical Beauty; TrueMoney; Food Panda; Nature's Spring; Viriginia Foods; Universal Robina Corporation; Steel Art Billboards; ML Foods Inc.; Mang Inasal; Jollibee; Air Asia; Gardenia; NutriAsia Philippines; Pioneer Adhesives; Real Page; VECO; Mineshine Milk Tea; TomFrances Layouts & Designs Inc.; Mega Global Corp.; and Novellino Wines Minor.

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