The ONE to Watch: ONE Championship Arrives in the USA
Respect. Honor. Discipline. None of these words are representative of my life so far, emphasis on so-far. But all three are major tenets of ONE Championship, the hotshot combat sports promotion based out of Singapore.
Earlier this week, ONE Championship touched down in the United States with a public open workout to showcase their three newest American signings to a sizable Los Angeles crowd. All three MMA fighters are former UFC stars. Two are former champions. And just one has amazing hair. I was there too.
Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson, “The Underground King” Eddie Alvarez, and “Super” Sage Northcutt showed off their martial arts moves for a packed house of pumped fans and thirsty media. It had been a while since we’d seen these talents, and inquiring minds were eager to discuss the honeymoon phase of this new marriage with ONE.
Rounding out the cavalcade of stars were two additional former UFC legends, Miesha Tate and Rich Franklin, both now retired from MMA and serving as Vice Presidents for the pan-Asian organization.
Sandwiched in the press section between an old pro and a young newbie, I gleefully perspired my way through a truly exciting event, snapping photos of poetry in motion with my trusty Nikon Coolpix and recording video with my new iPhone XS. (It’s pronounced TEN-S.)
Still new to the media game, I quickly relocated my position when I was politely informed that I had usurped an elder’s perch. But as respect, honor, and discipline haven’t infected me just yet, I wasn’t above paying it forward later that day and rebuking an over-eager fan for blocking my shot. In all fairness, I did call him “sir” before I tilted my head like a disapproving teacher.
Mostly, though, I was focused intently on the fresh and energetic spectacle put on by the ONE team. Despite having been to only a few of these media events thus far, it’s clear to me that ONE is keen on delivering a unique package for American audiences.
Holding fast to the Asian traditions that have led to tremendous viewership growth over the past few years, ONE proudly declares that their mission is to “unleash real life superheroes who ignite the world with hope, dreams, inspiration and strength.”
That’s quite a tall order, but one look at Northcutt’s wicked karate flipping, and Johnson’s fleet-footed grappling, and it’s clear that ONE has acquired two martial artists with enormous charisma and personal appeal. But don’t tell that to Johnson’s former promoter, the UFC, who notoriously undervalued his entire career under their banner.
“The Underground King,” also brings his own brand of superhero quality to this new stage. Every comic book has a no-fuss, talk-is-cheap character, and Alvarez fits the bill in spades. Despite the flashiness and spectacle of Northcutt and Johnson, who himself sits at the top of the list for one of the greatest martial artists ever, it was Alvarez who ran to the fan section and offered high-fives to whoever extended their sweaty palm. It was hot in there.
Alvarez received the most enthusiastic response from the crowd and it was clear that the stalwart Philly native, previously a champion with three other MMA promotions, has fans who have and will travel. This is good news for ONE, who is counting on the hefty fan followings of all three martial artists to attract a steady flow of American eyeballs onto their integrity-first product.
And as the event drew to a close, the energized air in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles was indeed filled with promise and excitement. In the US market, ONE Championship is still the new kid on the block, but as they demonstrated on the mats at the Clube de Jiu-Jitsu gym, ONE came to play, and ONE is intent on playing the game their way.
Trash-talkers and shot-callers need not apply. ONE has carved out a large swath of global territory by sticking to their values, values which they wisely declare at every turn. “Asia has been the home of martial arts for 5,000 years, and it is time to unite as a continent behind our history, our culture, our tradition, our values, and our heroes.”
Keep your eyes and ears open; ONE is poised to snatch a spot at the top of the American combat sports market by year’s end. Both Johnson and Alvarez make their debuts in March, with Northcutt scheduled to bow in this May. No live shows are scheduled for the US just yet, but all events are easily accessible via the ONE app, and now on B/R Live and TNT.
Whatever you do, don’t sleep on ONE.
(*Just before publishing, MMA legend, and former champion, Vitor Belfort was announced as the newest UFC fighter to join ONE.)