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Indonesian MMA star looks to retain unbeaten record in Manila
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Stefer Rahardian (Tribunnews.com/Tribunnews.com)
I
ndonesian mixed martial artist Stefer Rahardian has expressed confidence over retaining his unbeaten record ahead of a ONE Championship strawweight bout on Friday in Manila in his quest to obtain his first world title.
The 31-year-old athlete, who holds a perfect 8-0 record, will take on Rene “The Challenger” Catalan at ONE: Reign of Kings at the Mall of Asia Arena in the latter’s hometown of Manila.
“He is strong both in striking and grappling. It would be a tough match, but with all the preparation and training I have undergone, I believe I can do it,” he told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday, adding that that he had long admired the Wushu star.
The 39-year-old Wushu World Champion is undefeated in his last four games, with his most recent win coming over Peng Xue Wen of China via second-round TKO at ONE: Kings of Courage in January.
A victory over Catalan could make Stefer a prime contender to challenge Yoshitaka Naito for his ONE strawweight belt.
“I think Stefer is a title contender, no question. If he wins the fight, we’ll probably do a title shot in Jakarta,” ONE Championship chairman and chief executive Chatri Sityodtong said on the sidelines of the event's press conference on Tuesday.
Friday’s main event is a ONE interim bantamweight world title match between Australian Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen and Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon of the Philippines.
