ONE FC INKS PARTNERSHIP WITH A.S.A. FOR NORTH AMERICAN MARKET

Press release:

Asia's Largest Fight Promotion One Fighting Championship and Apex Sports Agency Agree to Terms:  ASA To Become ONE FC's North American Brand Embassador




CEO Victor Cui answer questions about ONE FC's massive expansion across Asia
"The ESPN deal will enable a completely new audience to fall in love with the fastest growing sport on the planet"
- Jason Chambers

Fort Lauderdale, FL (PRWEB) April 30, 2012

Apex Sports Agency (ASA) today announced that apartnership with top Asian fight organization ONE Fighting Championship (ONE FC) has been agreed to. With this pact, ASA will now exclusively handle all North American sponsorship and media negotiations for ONE FC.

Mixed Martial Arts is taking the world by storm and ONE FC is leading the way in Asia. They recently consummated an unprecedented ten-year deal with ESPN STAR Sports, the number one leader in sports content, which will bring ONE FC content to 500 million homes across 24 countries in Asia. Now, ONE FC and ASA have joined forces.

CHINA TOP TEAM: INNER MONGOLIA SEMINAR

Here's an article that was originally posted here on our sister-site BJJ Asia.

From CTT Coach Ruy Menezes: 

"Last week we made a trip to inner Mongolia, but precisely the training center of the best team in wrestling and judo in China.  We were very well received and could show some of my Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

I was impressed with the athletes and they also Mongolians with Jiu-jitsu. We areteaming up to bring some athletes to train in China Top Team in Beijing and also send instructors to teach MMA in Inner Mongolia.

The top Team China did not stop growing and will soon have more news.

We went to Inner Mongolia, Ruy Menezes, Tiequan Zhang, Cai (CTT Owner) LiJing Liang, Yao Honggang Antre others of the same importance.

I hope to return and review people so nice and polite."

SFL 3: FINAL FIGHT CARD PRESS RELEASE

SFL 3 Press release:

Super Fight League is proud to announce the full card for SFL 3, New Delhi , Sunday 6th May

Main Card 
Bobby Lashley V James Thompson (HW/ Main Event)
Trevor Prangley V Baga Agaev (LH)
Doug Marshall V Zelg Galešić (MW)
Lena Ovchynnikova V Joanne Calderwood (125 lb)

Under Card
Kultar Singh Gill [India] vs Quinton Arendse [South Africa] [80 kg catchweight]
Gurdarshan Mangat [India] vs Liu Si Cong [China] [62 kg catchweight]
Lakhwinder Singh Sekhon [India] vs Vladimir Biandov [Bulgaria] lightweight
Anup Kumar [India] vs Noom [Thailand] [60 kg catchweight]

Fight fans from all over the world can tune in and watch the event live and free on the official SFL YouTube channel: YouTube.com/SFL.

ONE FC 3 - PART 2: FIGHT DAY

MMA in Asia is growing by the day.  ONE FC CEO Victor Cui's vision of creating a network to "accelerate the development of Asian fighters and the sport of MMA in the region" has definitely taken flight with the third event - War of the Lions.  Showcasing local rookie phenoms to major international top ten fighters, pitting titled champions of regional organizations against top fighters shared from others, and attracting international talent from major western promotions, ONE FC proved it is serious about unifying and building the sport of MMA in Asia.

This is the second installment of my report from Singapore covering ONE FC 3.  For all of you who like to look at pictures instead of read, just enjoy the scrolling.  Event coverage in words is further down the page.  The first part of this series, on my arrival and the weigh ins, can be found here.  The final part will cover the MMA scene in Singapore.

Fight Day

Fight day had finally arrived.  My first time in Singapore, my first time at a ONE FC event, and my first time receiving the World's Largest Press Pass.  Seriously, this thing was so big that I wanted to glue glitter onto it and use a Bedazzler so that I could walk into the hall like female Flava Flav.

I guess this promotion likes to do everything in a big way, including the giant winner's medals that look like something ripped off a 1969 Chevy Impala manifold.  If you haven't seen one of these behemoths in person, just hang your USB keyboard around your neck for a night out partying (with a brick duct-taped onto the back of it), and call me to exchange notes tomorrow morning.  Poor Nicole Chua had to see the chiropractor when she got backstage.  I haven't seen a more 'interesting' medal since the inaugural UABBJ tournament had red, yellow and blue giant plastic elephant cutouts to string around winner's necks.

SFL 3: FOUR BOUTS ANNOUNCED

After previously announcing some heavy hitters who will be making the trip to India for Super Fight League 3, the fledgling uber-promotion now signs some regional talent from Asia and locally known standouts:

Direct from the press release:

The Super Fight League is pleased to announce the follow undercard matchups for SFL 3 :

Kultar Singh Gill [India] vs Brandon Kesler [USA]

Gurdarhshan Mangat [India] vs Liu Si Cong [China]
Lakhwinder Singh Sekhon [India] vs Will Chope [Phillipines]
Anup Kumar [India] vs Noom [Thailand]

On the SFL 3 India card will be K1 and Dream veteran fighter Kultar "Black Mamba" Singh Gill who will take on American mma fighterBrandon Kesler. Kultar has surprised everyone by taking this fight at middlewight since he has always been fighting K1 as a lightweight. Kesler built like a tank is a bjj brown belt from The United States and just coming off a hard fought loss at a Thailand mma promotion against japanese mma and ex-Pride fighter Daiju Takase. There is no doubt that this will be one of the most exciting fights of the entire SFL 3 card.

INTERNATIONAL AMATEUR MMA FEDERATION FORMED

MMA is a global sport that  - more often than not - consists of athletes making the leap from gym sparring to professional-level competition with no intermediary experience.  In many countries around Asia, MMA is quickly becoming a popular practice and spectator sport fueled by numerous promotions, yet amateur level competition is noticeably absent.
 
The reason for this is clear.  Unlike most professional sports such as tennis and soccer which start at the tertiary and local level and progresses towards professional international competition, MMA events usually bypass the amateur aspect as they are organized by separate for-profit promotions.  In Asia, outside of Japan and the Philippines,  this is the norm.

The rapidly growing number of MMA practitioners in Asia demands the development of an amateur platform to provide experience and raise the level of the sport.  However, starting such local organizations is a daunting prospect.  A newly-formed federation may become the catalyst for such endeavors. 

SFL 3 FIRST BOUTS ANNOUNCED

Super Fight League
is proud to announce the following fights for SFL 3:

Bobby Lashley V James Thompson (HW/ Main Event)
Trevor Prangley V Baga Agaev (LH)
Doug Marshall V Zelg Galesic (MW)
Lena Ovchynnikova V Joanne Calderwood (125 lb)

SUPER FIGHT LEAGUE 3
New Delhi
Sunday 6th May

.       FULL EVENT LIVE & EXCLUSIVE AT YOUTUBE.COM/SFL

.       @TheFightLeague

(Mumbai 11th April 2012) India's first MMA Organization Super Fight League (SFL) is proud to announce the following fights have been confirmed for SFL 3 taking place at the IGI Stadium, New Delhi on Sunday 6th May: Bobby Lashley V James Thompson (HW/ Main Event), Trevor Prangley V Baga Agaev (LH), Doug Marshall V Zelg Galesic (MW) and Lena Ovchynnikova V Joanne Calderwood (125lb).

Fight fans from all over the world can tune in and watch the event live and free on the official SFL YouTube channel: YouTube.com/SFL.

ONE FC MMA SUMMIT AND NEW KL DATE ANNOUNCED

PRESS RELEASE:

ONE Fighting Championship™ to host Asia’s Largest MMA Summit in History

10 April 2012 – Singapore: ONE Fighting Championship™ (ONE FC) announced today that it will host the ONE Asia MMA Summit 2012 from 1-3 June 2012. This invitation-only summit will be the largest in history for the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) in Asia. 150 of the most influential people in Asian MMA are invited for an all-expense paid trip to Singapore at the luxurious S$8 billion Marina Bay Sands, the world’s most expensive resort and casino, to join forces for the benefit of Asian MMA.

The region’s leaders from the biggest MMA promotions, the most prominent MMA gyms, the largest global sponsors, the top media companies and government partners, will all be in attendance. Attendees will have an exclusive opportunity to listen to panels of experts from every corner of the Asian MMA industry, discuss the rapid development of MMA in Asia and collaborate to enjoy the benefits of the ONE FC Network.

The two-day agenda for ONE Asia MMA Summit 2012 will feature presentations by industry leaders, TV broadcasters, international sponsors, leading gym owners, MMA media influencers and international MMA stars.

CEO and Owner of ONE Fighting Championship™ Victor Cui said, “In the last six months we have completely changed the game for the sport of mixed martial arts in Asia. This is a result of the synergistic efforts within the ONE FC Network and the outstanding support from the network’s exclusive partners. My vision is to create the best MMA network in Asia by choosing strategic partnerships made up of only the best promotions, gyms, sponsors, and media companies in the region. The ONE Asia MMA Summit 2012 is an opportunity for us to come together to share ideas, harness the phenomenal growth of MMA in Asia and create opportunities for all.”

DEEP CAGE IMPACT RESULTS AND HAPPENINGS

DEEP Cage Impact: "Over Again" was a special event that brought out good will from teams and fans alike.  Originally billed as a card featuring fighters with average or losing records getting a chance to start "over again" along with giving some wet-behind-the-ears players a first chance in a cage, the build up of team cheerleading started well before the event.  However, it wasn't without its share of drama.

At DEEP 57th Impact, Korean shooting star featherweight Doo Ho Choi was a "no show" a week before the event began.  Gumi MMA manager Chang Seob Lee took responsibility for his fighter's presumed MIA fiasco and offered a free fight at DEEP Cage Impact.  On the day of weigh ins, it was announced that Choi's absence was due to a broken arm that for some reason the camp didn't want to disclose.  Then, Lee got on the scales at 1.5 kgs over limit and his match with T-Blood fighter Shigetoshi Iwase was scrapped, prompting a flurry of angry tweets from teammate Tatsuya Kawajiri and a public Facebook apology from Lee himself.

Courtesy Brittany Ann Decker

The main event featured a much anticipated bout between Tatsumitsu Wada of Yoshida Dojo and Takafumi Otsuka of Abe Ani Combat Club.  As the fighters from these stellar JMMA camps clashed, it was a battle to see on which side of the seesaw the win would land: Wada's career began with five straight losses which turned onto a recent run of five straight wins, while the iconic green Roman legion-skirted Otsuka has struggled to pull out a couple of wins in his last five - though against stronger opponents in the big leagues of DREAM.  Wada proved his star is indeed on the rise, as even though he was carded for an elbow, he was able to earn a decision win.  Otsuka, once the Bantamweight Champion of DEEP, sadly announced his retirement at only 25 years of age.

Katsunori Kikuno versus Satoru Kitaoka announced

FRIDAY FIGHT FACTS #20

AFTER PARTY

3/30 - Legend FC 8, HONG KONG

3/31 - ONE FC / DREAM 3, SINGAPORE

!FIGHTING!

4/7 - SFL 2, Chandigarh, INDIA

4/7 - DEEP Cage Impact, Tokyo, JAPAN

4/8 - ZST! SWAT 46, Tokyo, JAPAN

4/8 - HEAT 22, Tokyo, JAPAN

New Legend FC Featherweight champ Yusuke Kawanago packing light

W-L-D

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

"CRUSHER" KAWAJIRI: AN INTERVIEW  after his dominating win at ONE Fighting Championship 3 last weekend, Tatsuya Kawajiri revealed his training routine, how he feels at featherweight, and advice for new athletes: "You must love MMA!

ONE FC 3 - PART 1: WEIGH IN DAY  ONE Fighting Championship 3: War of the Lions. the first part in a series of behind-the-scenes looks at the event and the Singapore MMA community

ONE FC 3 - PART 1: WEIGH IN DAY

Singapore: City of Lions, rooftop swimming pools, chicken rice, deep fried Mars balls, caning, Singlish dialect lah, cultural diversity, and... MMA.  Far from China yet hauntingly Chinese and sandwiched between several nations deeply steeped in traditional forms of fighting, no other place on earth can be as befitting a home for a martial art called Mixed.

My voyage to this cultural catch-all-cum-country was predicated upon the chance to cover the region's fastest-growing MMA promotion ONE Fighting Championship which calls Singapore home base.  March 31st would only be their third event, and yet it was to feature intercontinental title holders, top ten ranked fighters, interdisciplinary world champions, some fresh new talent poised on the brink of acclaim, and even a women's bout.  All in a 7,000 seat plus venue.  Shockingly aggressive for a start up.

To hold such a large event must mean that there's a ready and willing fan base in place to support it.  And as it would be my first time to visit Singapore, I was determined to find that base and explore it.  This several-day experience yielded an incredible amount of mental fodder and therefore this article will be but the first of several in a series chronicling my forays.  It will focus on my touchdown in Singapore and the weigh ins for ONE FC 3.

SFL 2 INDIA FINAL PRESS RELEASE

BOOM . POW . PUNCH KICK WOW
Super Fight League 2

Chandigarh,  Saturday 7th April

WATCH THE FULL EVENT LIVE & EXCLUSIVE AT YOUTUBE.COM/SFL
18.45 Indian Standard Time (IST) 06.15am PDT, 13.15 GMT on Saturday 7th April

(Mumbai, 4th April 2012) Boom . Pow . Punch Kick Wow! Super Fight League 2 is back this Saturday live from Chandigarh and once again fans from all over the world will be able to tune in and experience the action live and free on YouTube at 18.45 Indian Standard Time (IST) 06.15am PDT, 13.15 GMT on Saturday 7th April.

Featuring Duffee v Grove, Kelly v Healy and Shlemenko v Minowa alongside the best domestic talent and top music entertainment, SFL 2 promises to deliver a fantastic night of fights to fans live and free via YouTube.com/SFL.

Duffee v Grove (HW)

Headlining the fight-card will be the SFL debut of one of the most explosive and exciting young heavyweights on the planet today, American Todd Duffee. Renowned within the MMA community for possessing the fastest KO in UFC history. Duffy's appeal lies in a record that guarantees excitement; every fight he has ever been involved in has ended via knockout.

Up against Duffee is popular UK based South African Neil Grove, boasting an equally exciting record of all 11 wins coming via KO or TKO. Grove is counting on using experience to his advantage and is looking for the KO over Duffee. Both men will be looking to showcase their skills and make an impact with their SFL debuts in a classic crossroads fight.

Kelly v Healy (LW)
The big name fights do not stop there, as also on the card is Englishman Paul Kelly, a noted lightweight fighter famous for putting on exciting bouts thanks to his tenacity and kickboxing skills. A former three time winner of the UFC's fight of the night award, Kelly specializes in enthralling the crowd. He will get every chance to do so against Ryan Healy. Healy, an aggressive fighter with 10 knockouts to his name is promising a superior ground game following an intensive camp with Team Quest.

"CRUSHER" KAWAJIRI: AN INTERVIEW

Tatsuya Kawajiri: CRUSHER. Swarmer, smasher, brutalizer, demolisher. There are lots of words to describe the man who has carved his way through forty opponents to reach MMA immortality, and they all invoke images of punishment and pain.

In his professional career spanning a dozen years, Kawajiri has won and defended a Shooto title in the promotion’s welterweight division, and contested for the DREAM and Strikeforce titles at lightweight. In his first year with PRIDE, he earned the Fight of the Year in the first round of the Lightweight tournament for his bout with Takanori Gomi, who went on to become the champion. It was one of only two submission losses he suffered within an entire decade, both of which were to world-ranked top ten fighters.

Tracy Lee - Combatlifestyle.com

Kawajiri came back to crush his way through four more wins before signing to DREAM after the decimation of PRIDE. He racked up an additional seven to two when he was finally granted a rematch against Gilbert Melendez – previously his only decision loss – that would be in Strikeforce for the Lightweight Championship. With his training disrupted by the tragic earthquake and tsunami right before he was to have his first fight both in a cage and overseas, he wasn’t in an optimal situation and ended up being on the receiving end of only the second knockout of his entire MMA career. The other side of those stats: Kawajiri has done the knocking out thirteen times and finished eight more fights with submissions.

With the ownership of a title still eluding him, Crusher reinvented himself at featherweight. Nothing breaks him; in fact adversity only drives him harder. And just as has been his previous experience developing his stellar career in major promotions at their start up, Kawajiri will again get his chance to achieve his goals in Asia’s newest mega-promotion, Singapore’s ONE Fighting Championship. His first appearance – courtesy of a partnership formed between ONE FC and DREAM – came this past weekend at the Singapore Indoor Stadium against King Of The Cage Featherweight Champion Donald Sanchez. In front of around 7,000 new MMA converts who barely applauded his entrance, he ran a methodical step-by-step instructional on how to finish a fight in the first round. He then jumped on top of the cage and earned himself 7,000 new diehard Crusher fans.

Tracy Lee - Combatlifestyle.com

ONE FC 3 OFFICIAL RESULTS

Zorobabel Moreira leads the pride of winners for ONE Fighting Championship™: War of the Lions

31 March 2012 – Singapore: ONE Fighting Championship™: War of the Lions thrilled a sold-out 8,000 seater Singapore Indoor Stadium tonight with non-stop excitement and surprises. The crowd was completely blown away in what proved to be one of the most historic and highly electrifying nights in the history of Asian mixed martial arts (MMA). The highlight of the show came from an impressive win by Brazil’s Zorobabel Moreira during the Main Event fight against Japan’s Felipe Enomoto.

Tatsuya Kawajiri def. Donald Sanchez via submission (Triangle Choke) at 3:27 of Round 1.
Ole Laursen def. Eduard Folayang via Split Decision 
Fabricio Monteiro def. Yuya Shirai via Unanimous Decision
Melvin Manhoef vs. Yoshiyuki Nakanishi No Contest (Accidental Injury)
Eddie Ng def. Jian Kai Chee via TKO (Punches) at 0:43 of Round 1
Masakazu Imanari def. Kevin Belingon via submission (Reverse Heel Hook) at 1:18 of Round 1
Yuji Shimada 
Nicole Chua def. Jeet Toshi via submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 2:07 of Round 1 
Kim Hock Quek def. Majee Overall via technical submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 3:18 of Round 2
Long Yun Jiang def. Yodsanan Sityodtong via technical submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 4:28 of Round 1
Danny van Bergen def. Richie Whitson via submission (Armbar) at 1:19 of Round 1