Rene Catalan (right) faces two-time jiujitsu world champion Eros Baluyot. –CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
In the twilight of his career, age hasn’t bothered three-time wushu world champion Rene Catalan one bit.
The seasoned 44-year-old fighter believes he still has what it takes to rule in the MMA cage when the former Asian Games gold medalist faces rising star Eros Baluyot in the main event of the URCC 87: Heroes on Tuesday night.
“I haven’t fought in the URCC. This is one arena that I really want to test my skills as a fighter,’’ said Catalan, a consistent MMA world title contender in various promotions in a career spanning over two decades.
He last competed in ONE Championship, losing to former champion Alex Silva in November 2021.
It will be a thrilling striker-opposite-grappler combat in the flyweight division with Baluyot, a two-time International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation world champion, expected to bring the power-punching Catalan to his realm on the ground.
“There’s a lot of fight left in me and to be honest, I still feel the hunger (in winning a title),’’ said Catalan, who owns an MMA win-loss record of 6-5.
Marking his return to the MMA cage, Catalan’s URCC debut could be his redeeming platform after dropping his last three