Forty-year-old Filipino MMA veteran Rene “The Challenger” Catalan proved that age is just a number as he stopped former ONE Strawweight World Champion Yoshitaka Naito via first round TKO during ONE: Reign of Valor at the Thuwunna Indoor Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar last weekend.
Many-time amateur Wushu world champion Catalan tried to keep Naito at bay with his striking but was repeatedly tied up by the superior grappling skills of Naito.
Catalan relied on his improved ground game and opened a gaping cut on Naito’s cheek with a clinical strike.
Naito turned his head to protect the cut which bled freely and profusely. Catalan then unleashed a merciless and relentless ground-and-pound attack which Naito could not stem.
Referee Kemp Cheng mercifully stopped the one-sided combat at 4:32 of the first round with a bleeding Naito slumped helplessly on the mat.
It was the first stoppage loss in Naito’s professional mixed martial arts career and extended Catalan’s ONE Championship winning streak to six.
The victory may have lined up the Filipino veteran for a crack at the ONE world title held by Yosuke Saruta.
