ONE FC boss eyes MMA fight card in Cebu

MANILA, Philippines – With ONE Championship becoming a staple of the local combat scene in the Philippines, Asia’s largest mixed martial arts (MMA) organization plans to extend its reach in the archipelago. 

Company head honcho Victor Cui has set his sights on holding a fight card in Cebu City, where Henry Sy’s SM Group is currently constructing a 16,000-seater indoor arena.

The new state-of-the-art venue will be known as the SM Seaside City Arena, and it is projected to open its doors in either 2017 or 2018. 

“I would really like to go out to Cebu because the SM Group is building a new venue out there. But right now, there is no infrastructure,” Cui told Rappler. 

The aforementioned arena was also one of the proposed locations for the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup when the Philippines made a bid to host the international basketball tournament.

“We talked about that one and met the senior management from SM and MOA. That will be a good one,” Cui said about staging an MMA showcase at the SM Seaside City Arena. 

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 could accommodate slightly over 6,000 fans.

“Of course, we want a venue that can accommodate our vast audience and then fill it up with lots and lots of fans,” Cui stated. 

ONE has held 7 MMA events in the country since its first venture on Philippine shores in August 2012.

The promotion formed a partnership with SM in 2014 that requires ONE to stage a fight card at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City twice a year. 

“We love Manila and the Philippines. We will always be here at least twice a year,” the Filipino-Canadian promoter promised.

ONE concluded its 2015 calendar by crowning its first-ever heavyweight champion on Friday, December 11 as Filipino-American fighter Brandon Vera knocked out late-replacement Paul Cheng in just 26 seconds with a head kick. – Rappler.com