ONE Championship: History and Story

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ONE Championship is not about selling fights. It is about selling the values and story of the fighters in it's rosters. It is about giving hope to the little people by showing them that anyone can be a champion or a hero if they are willing to put in the work and never give up.

This is something that their CEO, Chatri, has constantly put out when asked about what ONE is all about and ONE has constantly been able to stay true to their words. In fact, never has a ONE fighter ever been on the news due to a scandal. This is also why ONE has been able to stay ahead of the game and constantly grow. True to their word, they are now holding their 2nd bout in Manila for the Year 2019.

The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), in collaboration with City of Dreams Manila, recently held the ONE: ROOTS OF HONOR Official Kick-Off Press Conference last Tuesday, 9 April at the City of Dreams in Manila.

In attendance were main event competitors, reigning ONE Featherweight World Champion Martin Nguyen and challenger Narantungalag Jadambaa, co-main event participants, reigning ONE Strawweight World Champion Yosuke Saruta and challenger Joshua Pacio, as well as Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, Chatri Sityodtong.

Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “ONE Championship is back in Manila, and it’s always a pleasure to visit the Philippines. We’re here to celebrate Asia’s greatest cultural treasure -- martial arts. We’re not here to sell fights, we’re here to build martial arts heroes who ignite the world with strength, hope, dreams, and inspiration. By telling their stories, we share the true values of martial arts with the world, which will always be our mission. See you all this Friday night for ONE: ROOTS OF HONOR. It’s going to be a fantastic show.”

Nguyen, Chatri, Jadamba

Martin Nguyen, ONE Featherweight World Champion, stated: “It’s my fourth time competing here in Manila, and I’ve always felt at home here. It’s an honor to share my talent with you all. Thank you to all the fans for the support. Challenging the legend Jadambaa himself, it’s such an honor. I would like to thank ONE Championship for placing their trust in me. I’ll bring a hundred percent into the cage, and god willing, I’ll walk out of the arena still champion.”

Narantungalag Jadambaa, ONE World Title Challenger, stated: “First of all, I would like to thank ONE Championship for the opportunity to compete for the ONE World Title once again. This is not about age, this is about passion. Martial arts is my life and I hold the utmost respect for anyone who has the courage to step inside that cage. I will bring even more courage into the cage this Friday. I respect Martin Nguyen for what he has done for our sport and it is an honor to face him. I will do my best and the best man will walk out of the cage with the title.”

Saruta, Chatri, Pacio

Yosuke Saruta, ONE Strawweight World Champion, stated: “Coming to the Philippines and representing Japan and the Japanese culture, it is such a huge honor for me. I know Joshua Pacio has a lot of fans here, and I respect him as a martial artist. All I can say is that we will both bring our best into the cage this Friday night. It’s going to be an exciting fight, and I plan on getting my hand raised in the end as the victor. Thank you all for having me.”

Joshua Pacio, ONE World Title Challenger, stated: “I would like to thank ONE Championship for giving me another chance to fight for the title. I know the magnitude of this matchup and how important this rematch with Yosuke Saruta is. I wasn’t at my best in that first fight, so I want to go out there and prove that I can do much better. He’s a great fighter, and I have so much respect for him. But I have the hopes and dreams of an entire country on my shoulders, and I can’t let the fans down. I’m coming to regain the belt. It’s going to be a war this Friday.”

Ticket information for ONE: ROOTS OF HONOR is available at www.onefc.com.