Page 29 - aruba-today-20190112

A29
PEOPLE & ARTS Saturday 12 January 2019

One Championship looks to make MMA splash in States

By DAN GELSTON, AP Sports peers.
Writer “Every fighter in town is slid-
How many casual Ameri- ing into my DMs. What’s
can sports fans about a going on? What are you
year ago had heard of being offered?” Alvarez
One? Try none. said, laughing.
OK, maybe that’s a bit of a Sityodtong, raised in Thai-
reach. But the Singapore- land and a graduate of
based mixed martial arts Harvard Business School, is
organization was an af- the self-made multimillion-
terthought at best in the aire entrepreneur behind
United States among the One. He’s made a name
hodgepodge of compa- as the most powerful MMA
nies trying to put a dent in executive in Asia and has
UFC’s heavyweight share trained and coached in
of the combat sports mar- martial arts. Alvarez was
ketplace. wowed — and wooed —
Try ignoring One Champi- by Sityodtong’s approach
onship now. toward building One into
After staging shows for sev- an American MMA jugger-
en years across Asia from naut.
Myanmar to China, One “In three years, our goal is
has come out swinging in In this July 24, 2018, file photo, reigning ONE featherweight and lightweight world champion Martin 100 million live viewers per
the U.S. — throwing millions Nguyen addresses reporters during a news conference for the ONE Championship mixed martial event, making us as big
at big-name free agents, arts event in Pasay city, south of Manila, Philippines. as Super Bowl Sunday,” Si-
signing a major cable TV Associated Press. tyodtong said at the press
deal and raising capital talks that would broadcast One strengthened its ros- suddenly become quite conference to introduce
needed to not only keep its fights in America. ter with notable U.S.-based popular among his MMA Alvarez. q
grip as the dominant MMA Alvarez was impressed, not talent ahead of a North
promotion of the East, but just by One’s outline for the American television deal
perhaps use global expan- future, but in a multimillion with Turner Sports. Motown Museum unveils
sion to eventually rival UFC dollar contract offer that The three-year deal will see
as the champ of the West. he says makes him one of One content broadcast on artifacts to mark 60th
“They’re making a serious the highest-paid fighters in Turner’s platforms including
push,” One fighter Eddie the sport. TNT, which is received by anniversary
Alvarez said. “I don’t think “Our deal is more in the more than 90 million house-
it’s going to be long before lines of a real pro sport holds in the United States,
you can crown them one deal, like football or base- as well as streaming plat-
of the top promotions in the ball,” Alvarez said. form Bleacher Report Live
world. They’ve done every- “The package deal is an and other Turner properties.
thing possible in their favor eight-figure deal. When Turner, which also broad-
to become that.” we brought that to the UFC casts the NBA and the
Alvarez, a Philadelphia na- to match it, they declined NCAA Tournament, is set to
tive, should know as well matching it and I had to air 24 events in 2019 on its
as any fighter about One’s move forward. I’m happy various outlets. B/R Live will
commitment to becoming I did because One Cham- stream One: Eternal Glory
a major player in the U.S. pionship is the only major on Jan. 19 from Jakarta, In-
fight game. promotion that I have not donesia.
“The Underground King” won and conquered the That date is already familiar
has fought for several MMA world title in. It’s history and to MMA fans — UFC is run-
promotions and made his legacy for me.” ning its debut show on ES-
name in Bellator as a two- Alvarez was part of a flurry PN-plus the same night (yet This Dec. 2, 2014 file photo shows the exterior of the Motown
time lightweight champion of transactions that put in different time zones). Museum in Detroit. Associated Press.
and in UFC where he won MMA fans on notice that Johnson and Alvarez will
the same title in 2016 and One was intent on becom- make their One Champi- Associated Press
headlined the promotion’s ing a singular sensation. onship debuts on March DETROIT (AP) — Pieces of Motown’s origin story that
first card in Madison Square One obtained Demetrious 31 in Japan in tournament haven’t been seen by the public will go on display in
Garden against Conor Mc- Johnson, the long-reigning competition. Detroit as part of the label’s 60th anniversary celebra-
Gregor. UFC flyweight champion “I’m not the smallest guy in tion. The Motown Museum says it will display several
The 34-year-old Alvarez be- better known as “Mighty the organization anymore,” items, including documents that show label founder
came a free agent after his Mouse,” in a trade with UFC the 5-foot-3 Johnson said. Berry Gordy Jr.’s repayment of the $800 family loan
last fight in July 2018 and — yes, a trade — for Ben “In America, everybody that helped launch the company with a recording in
decided to explore his op- Askren. Sage Northcutt, always looked at me as a 1959. The museum plans to unveil the artifacts Friday
tions outside UFC. once hailed as a future child. I won’t have that is- afternoon on its Facebook page. The official display
He traveled to Singapore UFC star, also signed with sue when I’m in Asia com- will open to the public Saturday at the museum. Of-
and met One founder and One. Meisha Tate, a for- peting.” ficials say the museum plans more displays through-
CEO Chatri Sityodtong and mer 135-pound champion More elite fighters could be out the year. The Motown Museum is located where
learned U.S. expansion in UFC and Strikeforce, has on their way to One. Gordy launched his music empire. Scores of stars, in-
plans and acquiring other signed on as One’s vice Alvarez, who said he left on cluding the Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye,
name fighters were on the president and was set to good terms with UFC and and the Miracles, recorded hits there before Motown
horizon, as well as ongoing move to Singapore. President Dana White, has decamped to California in 1972.q