Hua Fung Teh: China market is very important for ONE Championship

Hua Fung Teh, Xiong Jing Nan

Based in Singapore, ONE Championship is establishing a strong base in China. Recently, the company appointed its chief financial officer Hua Fung Teh as its new chairman in the country.

“The China market is incredibly important for us,” Teh stated. “And we are doing everything we can to achieve success.”

Teh used to be a principal at TPG Capital. For over 6 years, he was a key leader of the leading global private equity firm in the origination, evaluation and execution of investments deals across Greater China and Southeast Asia.

Before joining TPG Capital, Teh held various leadership positions in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI), where he was a key member of the team that brought Formula One (F1) racing to Singapore and organized the first night race in F1 history in 2008. He was also an aviator with the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) where he operated F-16 fighter jets.

“It is an honor to be appointed as Chairman of ONE Championship in China, a country with a long and respected tradition of martial arts going back thousands of years,” Teh said. “I look forward to engaging with our local partners, athletes and fans, and helping our team further grow ONE Championship’s footprint and fan base in the country.”

The ONE Championship CFO has extensive knowledge and experience in the business circuit in China. He said he has a deep personal affection and respect for the country where he spent a lot of time and made many friends.

Two of the reigning champions of ONE Championship are Chinese. Reigning ONE Women’s Strawweight World Champion “The Panda” Xiong Jing Nan, 30, of Beijing, China was crowned on January 20, 2018 while Kai Ting “Killer Bee” Chuang, 23, of Chinese Taipei became the ONE Super Series Kickboxing Atomweight World Champion on July 7, 2018.

Xiong will defend her title for the second time at “ONE: Beyond the Horizon” at the Shanghai Oriental Sports Center in Shanghai, China on September 8, 2018.

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WBC approves ONE Championship ring for Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in Bangkok

Srisaket Sor Rungvisai

The World Boxing Council (WBC) has given its stamp of approval for ONE Championship to use its five-rope ring in the upcoming title defense of Thai boxer Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, 31, of his sought-after super flyweight crown against Mexican challenger Iran “MagnifiKO” Diaz, 28. The two will make their debut in ONE Championship, a Singapore-based mixed martial arts organization established in 2011.

In July 2018, ONE Championship made a blockbuster announcement of entering into the sport of boxing, forming a partnership with Nakornloung Promotion (NKL) to co-promote the next title defense of Sor Rungvisai. The Thai boxing champ puts his WBC Super Flyweight World Championship on the line against Diaz in the main event of “ONE: Kingdom of Heroes,” which will take place at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand on October 6, 2018.

All bouts at “ONE: Kingdom of Heroes” are expected to be held inside the ONE Championship ring. The fight card includes matches that are officiated under mixed martial arts, Muay Thai and kickboxing rules.

Hosting the first professional boxing bout in its seven-year history, ONE Championship has received the WBC’s endorsement for the usage of its ring. The ring was first unveiled at “ONE: Heroes of Honor” in Manila, Philippines in April 2018.

“We are thrilled to work with ONE Championship for the upcoming event in October,” WBC vice president Kovid Pakdeepoom stated. “Our association with a world-class organization like ONE Championship satisfies our goal in nurturing the legacy of boxing across the globe.”

“ONE Championship has made groundbreaking initiatives in the development of mixed martial arts and other forms of martial arts in Asia and around the globe,” Pakdeepoom added. “Certainly, there’s so much that everyone should be excited about this event in Bangkok.”

The ONE Championship ring measures by an external dimension of 28 feet by 28 feet, while its internal dimension is 24 feet by 24 feet. Surrounded by five ropes in bright white, the ring canvas is light gray, in typical color of the promotion’s traditional cage.

Since its maiden appearance, the ONE Championship ring has been used at two events in China. It will once again be utilized as a battlefield at “ONE: Beyond the Horizon” in Shanghai, China on September 8, 2018.

“ONE: Beyond the Horizon” will be headlined by reigning ONE Women’s Strawweight World Champion “The Panda” Xiong Jing Nan, 30, of China and her challenger Samara “Marituba” Santos, 25, of Brazil.

#Bangkok #ONEChampionship #WBC

Kalgoorlie’s Daniel Dawson joins ONE Championship

Daniel Dawson

ONE Championship will welcome one of the most decorated martial artists in the world in Daniel “The Rock” Dawson, 40, at “ONE: Beyond the Horizon” at the Baoshan Arena in Shanghai, China on September 8, 2018. Fighting out of Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, Australia, he will face Mustapha “The Flying Dragon” Haida, 29, of Morocco in a ONE Super Series 73-kilogram kickboxing bout.

Set to make his debut for the biggest martial arts promotion in Asia, Dawson is nothing short of thrilled to showcase his set of skills to some of the world’s most appreciative fans. He shared, “I’m extremely excited to be fighting on the biggest Asian martial arts promotion there is.”

“We have been watching ONE for a while now here in Australia,” Dawson added. “And to finally have some Australian competitors there to compete, now that there’s Muay Thai and kickboxing, it’s just an incredible feeling for me.”

Dawson is just the latest in a long line of Australian athletes to display their skills on the ONE Championship stage. He follows the footsteps of reigning ONE Featherweight and Lightweight World Champion Martin Nguyen, former ONE Bantamweight World Championship challenger Reece McLaren, lightweight contender Adrian Pang and fellow kickboxing star Elliot Compton, just to name a few.

“I’m just super excited and am in the best shape I’ve been in over a decade to get ready for this performance,” Dawson said. “That’s how seriously I’ve taken this fight, so I’m very excited, to be honest. I can’t wait to show the fans how hard I’ve been training.”

While Dawson is a newcomer on the ONE Super Series stage, he is already one of the most experienced athletes on the roster. The Australian will be bringing with him a professional boxing and kickboxing record that consists of 112 bouts with 93 wins and 57 of it coming by way of knockout.

Dawson stressed that he cannot wait to feed off the energy of the ONE Championship crowd even with all that experience under his belt. He said, “I’m really looking forward to be under the bright lights and on one of the biggest stages there is in martial arts.”

“Of course, for me to be able to fight on a stage like this, I’m one of those fighters that the bigger the crowd, the bigger the energy, the more I love it,” Dawson continued. “So I’m just really excited and super pumped to be on this trip, on this show.”

Dawson’s arrival bolsters the already-stacked pool of talent that the ONE Super Series parades, headlined by the likes of Giorgio Petrosyan, Jo Nattawut and Nong-O Gaiyanghadao, among others. A highly-decorated combat sports athlete, the Kagoorlie native is the first man to hold world titles in boxing, kickboxing and Muay Thai and is being hailed as one the best martial artists to come from Down Under.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0m-L6QmZVo

#Kalgoorlie #ONEChampionship

Tokyo’s Yukinori Ogasawara: Lyon’s Hakim Hamech isn’t superior to me

Yukinori Ogasawara

Hakim Hamech, 25, of Lyon, France will make his ONE Championship debut at “ONE: Beyond the Horizon” where he will face Yukinori Ogasawara, 26, of Tokyo, Japan in a Muay Thai bout in the strawweight division. The French fighter has the advantage in youth and experience but his Japanese opponent is ready for anything that the former has to offer.

“I do not think Hamech offers anything I have not seen,” Ogasawara stated. “I need to be ready for his fast hands, but otherwise, I do not think he is superior to me in any respect.”

As Ogasawara aims to keep getting better, his martial arts journey will not get any easier as he is slated to lock horn with a more seasoned competitor in his second ONE Super Series outing. He is unfazed although Hamech is bringing with him a remarkable professional record of 42 wins and 8 losses along with two Muay Thai world championship reigns.

“I think he and I are stylistically similar,” Ogasawara said, referring to Hamech and himself. “So, I am looking to prevail over him with the improvement I have been making in my game.”

A win over a high-caliber opponent such as Hamech will certainly elevate Ogasawara’s status as one of the ONE Super Series’ top flyweight competitors and the Japanese star is dedicated on making the most of any opportunity that ONE Championship grants him. Competing in the world’s biggest martial arts promotion, Ogasawara finds himself on the perfect stage to achieve his dream of global stardom.

“I would love to participate in a tournament, or any other opportunity ONE gives me to climb up the ladder in the organization,” Ogasawara said. “However, more than anything, I want to put on fights that would elevate my name value among the kickboxing fans around the world.”

The Muay Thai bout between Ogasawara and Hamech is one of the four ONE Super Series bouts at “ONE: Beyond the Horizon.”

#Lyon #ONEChampionship #Tokyo

Loren Mack explains why ONE Championship included boxing in its menu

ONE Championship breathes a new life into Asian boxing as the sport’s popularity in the region is slowly ebbing due to several factors. This is according to Loren Mack, the promotion’s Vice President for Public Relations and Communications.

“Boxing is waning down in Asia,” Mack pointed out. “ONE Championship is the guiding light of every discipline under the umbrella of martial arts in the world, including boxing.”

Considered as the frontrunner of martial arts in the world, ONE Championship is set to return to Thailand on October 6, 2018 to stage another blockbuster event in the bustling city of Bangkok.

In just seven short years, it has evolved from a start-up mixed martial arts promotion to what it is now, hosting other different styles of martial arts such as Muay Thai, kickboxing, submission grappling and Lethwei, among others.

“We did it for mixed martial arts,” Mack declared. “We brought back Muay Thai and kickboxing into the limelight, so why not boxing?”

ONE Championship adds another different flavor to its fifth trip to Bangkok at the event titled “ONE: Kingdom of Heroes.” The card will be headlined by an intriguing 12-round world boxing championship contest between Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, 31, of Thailand and Iran “MagnifiKO” Diaz, 28, of Mexico.

Sor Rungvisai will put his World Boxing Council Super Flyweight World Championship on the line against Diaz at “ONE: Kingdom of Heroes,” which will take place at the Impact Arena in Bangkok. The Thai champ will have the opportunity to compete in his hometown.

Regarded as the world’s undisputed premier martial arts organization, ONE Championship made an epic announcement of entering into the sport of boxing in July 2018. The organization formed a partnership with Nakornloung Promotion (NKL) to co-promote the next world title defense of Sor Rungvisai.

ONE Championship has taken martial arts in Asia into greater heights, broadcasting to over 1.7-billion potential viewers across 138 countries around the world. Since its inaugural card in September 2011, it has staged nearly 80 live events and has visited 11 different countries, including the United Arab Emirates, China, Chinese Taipei, the Philippines, Myanmar and Cambodia.

The biggest local and global brands in the world have been attracted to ONE Championship with its highly active fanbase that is engaged in both digital and social media platforms. Forming a number of key partnerships, the organization is at pace for a billion dollar valuation and an initial public offering in the next couple of years.

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Hari Vijayarajan from Lazada Singapore to ONE Championship

 

Hari Vijayarajan

ONE Championship has appointed Hari Vijayarajan as its new chief business development officer. Before joining the martial arts organization, he was the chief business officer of Lazada Singapore and part of its senior leadership team.

As the ONE Championship new chief business development officer, Vijayarajan will help to increase the organization’s scalability and growth across all key markets. He will officially commence his new role in January 2019.

“It is an absolute pleasure for me to announce that we have added Hari Vijayarajan to our elite management team here at ONE Championship,” ONE Championship chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong stated. “As a seasoned leader and all-around nice guy, Hari will work alongside myself and the rest of our leadership team to scale ONE Championship into the first multibillion dollar global sports media property in Asian history.”

“Bar none, ONE Championship now has Asia’s most seasoned and experienced leadership team in the entire sports media industry,” Sityodtong added. “These are definitely exciting times and I look forward to working with Hari in making ONE Championship the global leader in sports and entertainment.”

Aside from being the former chief business officer of Lazada Singapore, Vijayarajan also worked at Lazada Group as the executive vice president and regional category leader of electronics. He negotiated with some of the world’s largest brands like Apple, Samsung, and Xiaomi.

At ONE Championship, Vijayarajan will be responsible for helping to scale the company into the first multibillion dollar global sports media property in Asian history and driving key strategic initiatives and new businesses. This will help scale the company into the first multibillion dollar global sports media property in Asian history.

Vijayarajan has over 15 years of experience in the technology, consulting and eCommerce industries with extensive global experience across the United States, Asia Pacific, Japan and China. He spent three years in IT strategy consulting as Engagement Manager with Booz & Co in Chicago, Illinois and five years in various roles within Microsoft’s regional enterprise sales and ERP divisions based in Singapore.

Moreover, Vijayarajan worked as a divisional merchandise manager of PC tablet accessories/input devices at Amazon in Seattle, Washington. He managed key OEM partnerships in the company’s PC and accessories business.

In 2003, Vijayarajan earned his bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. In the same year, he was part of a student team that won the Microsoft Imagine Cup programming competition, which was awarded by Bill Gates, beating tens of thousands of teams worldwide.

In 2006, Vijayarajan received a post-graduate diploma in Finance from the London School of Economics and Political Science. In 2010, he graduated with an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and London Business School.

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French Guiana’s Fabrice Fairtex Delannon inspired by Roy Jones Jr., Mike Tyson, Jacobin Yoma

“The Funky Drummer” Fabrice Fairtex Delannon, 36, is regarded as one of the best Muay Thai practitioners to come out of France. Among the martial artists he considers his inspirations are Roy Jones Jr., Mike Tyson and Jacobin Yoma.

Growing up moving back and forth from French Guiana and mainalnd France, Delannon found an appreciation for the sport of boxing. As a fan of the sport known as the Sweet Science, he looked up to a pair of boxing’s biggest names.

“When I was young, it was Roy Jones Jr. and Mike Tyson,” Delannon shared. “I was seven years old when I saw Tyson on TV, defending his world titles. That was a huge inspiration to me.”

Delannon’s appreciation for the sport led him to the boxing gym at age 12 and with Tyson and Jones as his main inspirations, he worked tirelessly to develop as a pugilist. Just two years after first putting on a pair of boxing gloves, he took part in his first amateur bout.

The bout ended in a stalemate but it was indeed the start of what would be a long and fruitful journey into martial arts. Like all aspiring athletes, Delannon eventually yearned to be the best in his field.

“When I was 15 and boxing as an amateur, I dreamed of being a world champion,” Delannon stated. Adding fuel to his desire was seeing one of his countrymen actually get that far and after looking up to established names like Tyson and Jones, he made fellow French Guianese boxer Jacobin Yoma as his source of inspiration.

“I saw one guy, Jacobin Yoma, do it,” Delannon said. “I saw him succeed and win the world title. I thought that if he can do it, I could make it.”

Yoma was a super featherweight boxer who competed from 1989 to 1999, putting together a professional boxing record of 40 wins, 11 losses and 3 draws with 21 wins via knockout. During his career, he captured regional titles, as well as EBU and WBC championships.

Delannon has won world championships in two weight divisions, as well as a former Gold and Silver Belt titleholder and a three-time MAX Muay Thai World Champion. With a professional record of 55 wins and 10 losses to go with all those accolades, the highly decorated French-Guianese striker is a master in his chosen craft.

On September 22, 2018, Delannon will return to the ONE Championship stage at “ONE: Conquest of Heroes” in Jakarta, Indonesia. He will take on a fellow Muay Thai master in six-time world champion Yodpanomrung “The Lightning Knee” Jitmuangon of Thailand in a ONE Super Series Bantamweight Muay Thai bout.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70YM3PZVnlU

#ONEChampionship

Undefeated Lebanese MMA fighter Mohammad Karaki to challenge Aung La N Sang in Yangon

Mohammad “O Lutador” Karaki, 27, of Lebanon is the latest undefeated mixed martial artist to join the roster of ONE Championship. In his promotional debut, he will challenge two-division world champion “The Burmese Python” Aung La N Sang, 33, of Myanmar.

Karaki will make his ONE Championship debut at “ONE: Pursuit of Greatness” at the Thuwunna Indoor Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar on October 26, 2018. In the main event, he will make an attempt to capture ONE Middleweight World Championship from Aung, who is also the reigning ONE Light Heavyweight World Champion.

Currently, Karaki holds a professional MMA record of 9 wins and 0 loss. He is the Phoenix Middleweight Champion and is considered one of the greatest MMA fighters from the Middle East.

The undefeated Lebanese MMA fighter formerly held the Desert Force light heavyweight and middleweight titles. Of his nine victories, only one bout reached the final bell and with five submissions and three captivating knockouts to his name, he is a feared finisher.

On the other hand, Aung is the most successful athlete in the history of Myanmar. He currently has 23 wins and 10 losses and he is known for his impressive submission skills.

Born in Myitkyina in the mountainous Kachin State, Aung belongs to an ethnic minority known as the Kachin. He captured the ONE Middleweight World Championship with a unanimous decision victory over Vitaly Bigdash, 34, of Russia on June 30, 2017 at “ONE: Light of a Nation.”

On February 23, 2018, Aung earned his second title at “ONE: Quest for Gold.” He became the inaugural ONE Light Heavyweight World Champion by defeating Alexandre “Bebezao” Machado, 33, of Brazil.

For the first time, Aung successfully defended his ONE Middleweight World Champion title on June 29, 2018 and defeated Ken Hasegawa, 31, of Japan at “ONE: Spirit of a Warrior.” This makes Karaki the second fighter to challenge Aung for the ONE Middleweight World Championship.

#ONEChampionship #Yangon

Surinamese Muay Thai fighter Sergio Wielzen: ONE Championship is amazing

Sergio Wielzen

Surinamese striking star Sergio “Samurai” Wielzen, 30, has nothing but praises for ONE Championship. He is set to compete in the promotion’s striking-only league ONE Super Series for the second time.

“The promotion is amazing for sure,” Wielzen stated. “The way they treat you is at the highest level, so I was really happy.”

A Sityodtong Amsterdam-based talent, Wielzen is hoping to do much better in his second foray into ONE Championship’s. In his promotional debut on May 18, 2018, he came up short in his bid for the ONE Super Series Muay Thai Flyweight World Championship.

It did not go as Wielzen would have hoped. But the Surinamese martial artist was nothing short of elated for the experience of his maiden performance under the bright lights of ONE Championship.

Wielzen holds a martial arts resume that includes a professional kickboxing record of 46 wins, 19 losses and 2 draws and two W5 Kickboxing World Championship reigns. He is no stranger to performing on the big stages but he admitted that competing on the ONE Super Series stage was unlike anything he has ever experienced in his professional career.

“For me, it was a whole different ball game,” Wielzen said. “It was the biggest show I’ve ever been on and I’ve fought on big shows. I really felt the pressure.”

With the debut jitters now behind Wielzen, he hopes to emerge victorious in his return to ONE Super Series against debuting Muay Thai star Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon, 21, at “ONE: Conquest of Heroes” on September 22, 2018 in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Rodtang holds a professional Muay Thai record of 252 wins, 40 losses and 10 draws. The Thai contender may be the more experienced in terms of record but Wielzen believes that his edge is having already gone through the ONE Super Series experience.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcwPrkO_ims

#ONEChampionship

ONE Championship partners with Myanmar Airways International, Air KBZ, LU Global, YOU.C1000

ONE Championship announced new Q2 2020 strategic partnerships on July 6, 2020. Among the notable brands partnering with the Singapore-based martial arts promotion are YOU.C1000, LU Global, Myanmar Airways International (MAI), Air KBZ, SilverQueen, Kaskus and Fairtex.

Tanes Kumar is the chief commercial officer of MAI and Air KBZ. He stated, “As part of our goal of becoming the Myanmar aviation sector champion, we are honored to partner with a prestigious regional powerhouse in ONE Championship to leverage on their live sports content and global sports marketing across Asia and beyond.”

“We believe both organizations share the same core values across the board as we, MAI-Air KBZ, aim to make air travel more accessible and simplified for the common man in Myanmar,” Kumar continued. “We are also privileged to have Aung La N Sang and the Myanmar athletes onboard this initiative as they are the pride of the nation and icons for millions across the country.”

LU Global is also based in Singapore. Its CEO Kit Wong said that the company is “delighted to be renewing our partnership with ONE Championship and collaborating on a variety of initiatives in 2020 and beyond.”

“Taking inspiration from ONE Championship, we see great synergy between martial arts spirit and investment without limitation,” Wong said. “I am personally excited to be part of this collaboration and believe that together we can achieve many great things.”

YOU.C1000 president director Alaric Djojonegoro said the beverage company is excited to continue its partnership with ONE Championship as the official isotonic drink partner in Indonesia. He said, “We look forward to continuing our work with Asia’s largest global sports media property to further grow the sport of martial arts in Indonesia and to help develop martial arts professionals into heroes who can inspire Indonesians to live their dreams.”

ONE Championship’s partner brands also include Grab and Everise, which will both work with ONE Championship on “The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition.” ONE Esports has announced partnerships with Toyota Motor Asia Pacific and Vidio, as well.

Together, these partnerships leverage multiple content platforms. They will work together with ONE Championship to collaborate on a variety of initiatives and applications across the full spectrum of its martial arts and esports properties.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O58Ayykc99o

#ONEChampionship