![Robin Catalan (left) wants another crack at Gustavo Balart (right) and get to the top five of ONE Championship's strawweight rankings. [Photos ONE Championship]](https://news7h.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/ce13f-16527053988454-1920-780x470.jpg)
Straw is said to be the most stacked division in ONE Championship, and Robin Catalan want to join the party.
The Filipino boxer could very well break into the top five if he beats rising Indonesian 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 enter the top 5 of the straw leaderboard and even set up a rematch with the man he defeated. That man was the 4th place candidate Gustavo Balart.
Robin Catalan speak:
“He’s in the top five and I want that. I’ll let him fight me again if he likes, so I can prove that my win was unlucky.”
Catalan has boasted a win over Balart, after knocking out the Cuban grappler with a brutal headbutt in the second round of their November 2019 fight.
However, Balart made it into the top 5 of the weight rankings after a dominant victory over Ryuto Sawada and former ONE weight class world champion Yosuke Saruta.
However, Catalan wants to do the arduous climb and prove that he is one of the best fighters in the division.
“I want to prove that I belong to the best. I need to focus on my game plan and execute it perfectly in order to be able to excel at that task.”
Robin Catalan can make a big leap if he beats Siregar
While Robin Catalan was on the outside looking in, a win over dangerous Siregar would dramatically improve the Philippines’ attack.
Siregar got off to a good start in his ONE Championship tenure, going 3-0 with all of those wins coming from close quarters. Of his four wins in the promotion, only one made it to the second round.
However, Catalan is no stranger to finishing off his opponents.
‘The Ilonggo’ has 10 wins in his professional career and six wins by knockout or submission. Those six finishes are also evenly distributed, with three extras and three knockouts.
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His most spectacular finish, however, might just have been the header that knocked Balart out in November 2019 in front of home fans in the Philippines. He seems to want to iterate that result down the line.
