ONE Championship Announce Debut Event In Japan And 24 Dates For 2019

ONE Championship held a press conference today in Japan and announced their debut event will take place there on March 31 next year.

Led by Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, Chatri Sityodtong, multiple ONE Championship fighters including Angela Lee, Bibiano Fernandes, Shinya Aoki, Brandon Vera and Garry Tonon were all in attendance.

Sityodtong announced the event in Japan next year with the following statement:

“It is our absolute pleasure to announce today that we will be officially holding our first ever live event in Tokyo next March,” Sityodtong said.

“The ONE Championship superstars here today are some of the greatest talents in the world, bar none. They came out here to show their support for ONE Championship, and are living proof of the greatness of martial arts and the impact it has on our lives.

“Together, we can inspire the world to walk in the true values of martial arts — integrity, humility, honor, respect, courage, discipline, and compassion. We look forward to seeing you all once again, right here in March 2019.”

Renzo Gracie, who returned to the cage for the first time in over eight years last month to defeat Yuki Kondo, gave his backing for ONE entering the Japanese market.

“I believe in what ONE Championship is doing out here in Asia, and I believe in Chatri’s vision for martial arts,” Gracie said. “It warms my heart to see just how much respect we have built here as martial artists. This is what true martial arts is all about. I have been to Tokyo many times and the city never fails to amaze and surprise me.

“To be able to come full circle and bring martial arts back to Japan, it’s an amazing sight to behold. I am incredibly proud to be a part of this momentous occasion. Japan has played a huge role in the history of martial arts on a global scale, and it’s just right that it returns to glory once again. ONE Championship and Japan are a perfect fit and I foresee a bright future ahead.”

Sityodtong then announced the ONE Championship 2019 calendar of events, which will see the promotion return to its strong roots in Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, China, and Thailand.

It also revealed a further date for Tokyo with a another show taking place in October.

Sityodtong continued:

“I am thrilled to announce the first 24 of 30 events of our busy 2019 schedule at ONE Championship. In addition to the first 24 live events planned for all sports fans in Asia, there will be at least 6 ONE Warrior Series events that will continue to showcase the absolute best in martial arts, delivered by our martial arts superheroes.

“Of course, all of our live events will be available on the ONE Super App. 2018 isn’t over yet and we still have a lot of great stuff planned but 2019 is already shaping up to be an amazing year for us.”