New TV deal to help spur ONE FC expansion, says exec

MANILA, Philippines – When ONE Championship struck a lucrative deal with ABS-CBN, it paved the way for the Asian brand of mixed martial arts (MMA) to be viewed by millions of Filipinos on free television.

The Singapore-based MMA organization has become a staple of the local combat scene in the Philippines since its first venture on the country’s shores in 2012.

It held 8 of its last 37 fight cards at locations such as the historic Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City and the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. 

Company chairman Chatri Sityodtong revealed that the Philippines is one of ONE Championship’s primary destinations in its yearly multinational itinerary. 

“The Philippines is one of our biggest markets because the fans in the country are just so passionate about mixed martial arts. We just partnered with the country’s biggest TV network and we’re really excited about that,” he said. 

Through the partnership with ABS-CBN, the 45-year-old Thai businessman aims to extend ONE Championship’s reach in the archipelago by staging an event outside Metro Manila. 

“We’re also looking at Cebu City as a possible future destination,” said Sityodtong.

ONE Championship’s plans to host a fight card in Cebu City was first confided to Rappler by chief executive officer Victor Cui last December.

Henry Sy’s SM Group is currently constructing a 16,000-seater indoor arena in Cebu City that will be known as the SM Seaside City Arena. 

The SM Seaside City Arena, which is projected to open its doors to the general public either in 2017 or 2018, was also one of the proposed locations for the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup when the Philippines made a bid to host the international tournament.

Cebu is not new to sporting events as Waterfront Hotel and Casino has hosted several boxing cards for ALA Boxing Promotions. 

The 53-year-old Cebu Coliseum has a seating capacity of 5,000 and is the primary venue for CESAFI’s basketball games, while Lapu-Lapu City’s Hoops Dome can accommodate slightly over 6,000 fans. 

Sityodtong expressed his excitement over ONE Championship’s growth in the past 5 years as the organization crossed various borders to hold events in countries like the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Dubai, and China. 

“My passion and love for martial arts gave me the drive to bring ONE Championship to fans in Asia who yearned for exciting live MMA events in their own backyard. I have trained in muay thai and various other martial arts my entire life, and I felt compelled to showcase the sport’s beauty not just to Asia, but to the entire world,” he shared. 

Sityodtong also said his desire to give back to the sport motivates him to make ONE Championship even bigger and better.

“It’s just something that I felt I needed to do – to give back to the sport that has given me so much in life. Every life lesson that I have learned has come from martial arts, and the principles and ideals that martial arts swears by, I have taken to heart. It has guided me all throughout, and I credit my success to the lessons it instilled in me at a young age.” – Rappler.com