MANILA – Ilonggo fighter Rene Catalan was unsuccessful in his mixed martial arts return following a first round knockout loss to Bokang Masunyane of South Africa at ONE: Big Bang at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Friday night.
The Santa Barbara, Iloilo-native lasted for only 37 seconds after being floored via a left high kick from Masunyane that abruptly ended an absolute slugfest.
It was the second consecutive defeat for Catalan, the third-ranked ONE strawweight fighter, after suffering a submission defeat to reigning ONE Strawweight World Champion Joshua Pacio in November last year.
With the loss, Catalan saw his record drop to a 6-4 win-loss slate while Masunyane remained unscathed at 8-0.
“Well, I’m the best in my division. I’d like to challenge the champion but if he is not ready, give me number one or number two,” Masunyane said.
Meanwhile, Catalan’s player Jomary Torres went on with her losing run as she suffered a first-round technical knockout defeat to Ritu Phogat of India.
Phogat wasted no time taking down the Zamboangueña as she showcased her impressive ground game for the majority of the opening round.
Phogat’s window of opportunity came when she trapped Torres into a crucifix before unloading a barrage of elbows, sealing the deal with her ground and pound and leading the referee calling the bout at the 3:55 mark of Round 1.
It was the fifth straight defeat for Torres, who dropped to a 4-5 win-loss record while Phogat improved to 4-0./PN
