"He's in the top five and I want that" - Robin Catalan wants another shot at Gustavo Balart

Strawweight is arguably the most stacked division in ONE Championship, and Robin Catalan wants in on the party.

The Filipino fighter could very well make a case for the top five if he beats Indonesian rising star Elipitua Siregar at ONE 157: Petchmorakot vs. Vienot on May 20.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Catalan said that his plan is to join the top five of the strawweight rankings and even set up a rematch against a man he has already beaten. That man is No.4 strawweight contender Gustavo Balart.

Robin Catalan said:

“He’s in the top five and I want that. I’ll let him get a rematch with me if he likes, so that I can prove that my win was no fluke.”

Catalan already boasts a win over Balart, having knocked out the Cuban grappler with a brutal head kick in the second round of their November 2019 fight.

Balart, however, barged into the top five of the strawweight rankings after dominant wins against Ryuto Sawada and former ONE strawweight world champion Yosuke Saruta.

Nevertheless, Catalan wants to make the arduous climb and prove that he’s one of the best fighters in the division.

“I want to prove that I belong among the best. I need to focus on my game plan and execute it perfectly so that I can have a shot at that.”

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Robin Catalan can make a huge jump if he beats Siregar

While Robin Catalan is on the outside looking in, a win over the dangerous Siregar will greatly improve the Filipino’s stock.

Siregar had a flying start in his ONE Championship tenure, going 3-0 with all of those wins coming via finishes. Of his four victories in the promotion, only one reached the second round.

Catalan, however, is no stranger to finishing his opponents off.

‘The Ilonggo’ has 10 wins in his professional career and six came via either knockout or submission. Those six finishes are also equally distributed, with three submissions and three knockouts.

His most spectacular finish, though, might just be his head kick knockout of Balart in November 2019 in front of his home fans in the Philippines. He seemingly wants to repeat that result down the line.