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Friday, March 29, 2024

No rookie jitters as Rocel Catalan makes OWS debut

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Filipina atomweight Rocel “The Ilongga” Catalan will jump into the developmental league of ONE Championship when she battles Ji Yeon “Honey Bee” Seo of South Korea at Rich Franklin’s ONE Warrior Series 9 in Singapore this Wednesday, 4 December.

Catalan assures everyone she will not have the rookie jitters as she embarks on her journey in The Home Of Martial Arts. 

“I’m very excited! This is my first time to compete in ONE Warrior Series. It’s everyone’s dream to fight in the biggest promotion on the planet and I don’t have any plans of wasting this golden opportunity,” Catalan said. 

Instead of feeling the pressure, the Iloilo City native is instead focusing on the opportunity that is in front of her.  

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“The Ilongga” comes from the famous Catalan martial arts family, which is led by her older brother, ONE Strawweight World Title contender Rene “The Challenger” Catalan

“I’ve been training non-stop since the moment they told me that I will be competing in ONE Warrior Series. I focused on developing my tools, especially my cardio, given that this will be my first match in almost 16 months,” Catalan said. 

“I will display everything we worked on inside the gym, and I’ll make sure that my hand will be raised after the match.” 

Though confident, Catalan knows she will have a mountain to climb as she takes on the lanky South Korean. 

Ji is a product of Top Gym BF and Gym Lab and she holds an impressive record of 8-4 after winning her last two matches. 

In her last bout, Ji scored a third-round TKO win over Edilah Nadrah “Ilah” Johany of Malaysia in ONE Warrior Series 6 in Singapore last June.

That is why Catalan will come in with a very cautious approach come Wednesday. 

“I know that Ji Yeon Seo is a great athlete. That’s why I focused on both my stand-up game and ground game, knowing that my opponent is very well rounded,” Catalan said. 

“My team [also] created a perfect game plan for this bout. We respect her skills and we are aware that she is a tough opponent, but I am ready for the challenge.”

There is no question as to where Catalan wants to bring this match.  

“I have trained all areas of MMA, of course, [but] my background is rather focused on striking, especially having a strong background in wushu,” she said.

“That’s why I see this as my strength in this fight against Seo.” 

Though the South Korean atomweight will provide a stiff test, “The Ilongga” does not doubt her skills heading into the contest.

“This is a perfect chance for me to end the year strong and to start my ONE Warrior Series journey with a win,” Catalan said. 

“I know I have the tools to succeed, this is a very important match for me. It’s not just taking opportunities but believing in myself that I can do it. Being a warrior is in my blood.”After OWS 9, ONE Championship returns to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia one last time this year for ONE: MARK OF GREATNESS at the Axiata Arena on 6 December.

The preliminary card begins on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and the ONE Super App at 6:00pm Philippine Standard Time (PHT).

To watch the main card, turn to ABS-CBN S+A at 8:30pm PHT.

Or catch all the action live and for free on the ONE Super App. 

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