One Championship ‘hopeful’ New York will host first US event in 2020 – ‘we’re gunning hard’
- Singapore-based MMA company is looking to couple with Turner to televise the event in the US
- One sees ‘opportunity ahead’ and is looking to break the UFC’s stranglehold on the North American market
One Championship confirmed plans for the company’s first live show in the US during a tech conference in Hong Kong on Wednesday, and suggested New York could be the host city.
Hari Vijayarajan, chief business development officer at the Singapore-based mixed martial arts promotion, said One had its sights set on what would be a monumental event next year.
“We’re entering the US,” he said during a talk at Rise Hong Kong, a tech conference being held at the Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai. “Hopeful Q4 (fourth quarter) of 2020 in New York.”
Vijayarajan, who was previously the chief business officer for the Lazada Group Singapore, an online shopping company, said One was also in talks with Turner, an arm of media and entertainment company WarnerMedia, to televise the event. The UFC has a stranglehold on the North American market alongside ESPN. The two companies signed a five-year deal in May worth US$1.5 billion.
Vijayarajan said he thinks there is room for One Championship to head overseas and be successful. The UFC’s deal with ESPN, along with parent company Disney, consists of 30 UFC Fight Nights plus an additional 20 events that will stream on ESPN+.