ONE Championship, the Asia-based MMA promotion, announced it will return to the U.S. in 2024 for four events, following a successful debut earlier this year.
Asian mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion, ONE Championship, has announced plans to return to the U.S. in 2024 with four big events. The statement was disclosed to the public by CEO Chatri Sityodtong on Thursday. He expressed a sentiment of overwhelming gratitude for the support he perceived from American fans during ONE’s debut event in the U.S. held in May.
The logistics details for the four upcoming events are yet to be determined. However, Sityodtong admired the success of ONE Fight Night 10, which had occurred in May at 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado. He reported it was a sellout, clocking the most viewership since the promotion secured a streaming partnership with Amazon Prime. The event spotlighted former UFC champion, Demetrious Johnson, who outperformed Adriano Moraes in a match granting him his repossessed ONE flyweight title (135 pounds).
A surprising insight into why ONE Championship chose Colorado as its U.S. base was the approval of its rule set by the state’s athletic commission. Interestingly, this included permitting knees to grounded adversaries. Sityodtong expressed his excitement and optimism on his company’s return to the U.S. soil. In his statement, he said, “I am thrilled to announce that ONE Championship is coming back to the U.S. with four massive events in 2024. ONE is home to the greatest martial artists in the world, and I’m excited to once again showcase our world champions on American soil. To our fans that haven’t seen a live ONE event, I promise you an experience unlike anything you’ve ever seen.”