With barely two years old in existence, the One Fighting Championship is now widely regarded as the best and largest mixed martial arts organization in Asia.
So why has ONE FC become a byword in the Asian mixed martial arts community?
Khim Dima of Cambodia pummels Filipino Rene Catalan on the back of his head in the recent ONE FC Total Domination in Singapore. Their flyweight bout was ruled a no-contest due to illegal blows.
This is simply because One FC has brought together the best fighters in Asia and the world, pit them against each other in well-balanced cards to come up with high-octane, colorful fight promotions to the delight of the fans in the Asian continent.
The result is a 90% percent market share in terms of fan following in Asia—one billion plus viewership in the first three quarters of the year and an unprecedented ten-year TV deal with Fox and Star Sports for a coverage that spans 70 countries around world.
There is no doubt that ONE FC is MMA’s real deal in this part of the world.
And behind the powerful brand is a young visionary in Victor Cui, who was recently recognized by USA Today as the most powerful man in Asian MMA.
Filipino CEO
The 42-year-old Victor, ONE FC’s chief executive officer, is a pure-blooded Filipino but who has made himself a citizen of the world.
Victor’s father is a Cebuano and his mother is from Camiguin Island, but , Victor was born in Canada and spent part of his childhood in Africa because of his father’s work as an engineer diplomat.
After finishing his degrees in Business and Politics, he took up executive masters in Luxury Branding.
Cui ( center) with the Philippine contingents in ONE FC Asia Summit held in Singapore last May
His educational background led him to the exciting world of sports marketing, where he handled various executive positions at ESPN Star Sports, PGA Tour, X Games Asia, the Commonwealth Games and the Olympics for 15 years. He has traveled extensively and has made Singapore his home where ONE FC is based.
The rich experience has served him in good stead in founding ONE FC and making it the fastest growing promotion in MMA history.
One FC has so far staged live competitions in Indonesia, Philippines,Singapore and Malaysia and had attracted television audiences not only in Southeast Asia, but to as far as China, India, Russia and the Middle East because its promotions feature top fighters from various Asian countries.
And with still three months to go before the year ends, ONE FC has already breached the one-billion barrier in TV viewership.
Fastest-growing sport
Of all sports, why MMA?
“MMA is the fastest growing sport. Its skyrocketing popularity is phenomenal. It’s hard to resist such kind of business opportunity,” Victor told the Manila Standard in a one-on-one interview.
“While other sports struggle to fight decline, MMA is exploding.”
Repucom.com, a sports-dedicated website, verifies Victor’s claim.
According to its study, MMA is now ranked third behind football and Formula One among the sports which drew the fans’ highest level of interest, surpassing more established sports events such as golf, rugby and Moto GP.
As a testament to MMA’s powerful presence in Asia, Fox and Star Sports recently signed a 10-year coverage deal with ONE FC. Even big sponsors like oil giant Petron and Japan’s Sony, have recognized the marketing viability of the sport that was once held underground.
Mainstream media such as CNN and BBC have also featured fighters from ONE FC. “My success principle is about going for the best. I work with the best people and treat them well—the best gym partners, best fighters, best staff and all.”
Best in the world
ONE FC CEO Victor Cui announces the year-end promotion in December
Victor however thinks of ONE FC as not just a fight organization.
“We’re not just a foreign company that goes to one country and take all the fans’ money. We want to be the platform for growth of the sport and the athletes. One FC is a media company. But first,we are creating the brand. We’re building heroes, superstars. Our dream is to become the best media company in the world.”
Despite the lofty goals that he has set for ONE FC, Victor does not forget his Filipino lineage. He takes pride in the Filipino warrior’s heritage, and this is why in every ONE FC event, there are always Filipino fighters seeing action. He has so much faith in the Filipino fighters even as they keep on losing in the circular cage of ONE FC tournaments.
“I do not just look on winning or losing. It’s about how they fight in the cage. How they excite the fans. Most Filipino MMA fighters like to fight the way Manny Pacquiao fights. That’s why fans love them. That’s what make ONE FC exciting,” explained Victor.
“But Filipinos fighters have to train harder and continue to learn. Everybody is learning fast. The level of competition is rising along with the popularity of the sport.”
Baguio City-based Team Lakay, for instance, is one of the mainstays in ONE FC. In fact, former featherweight champon Honorio Banario and veteran Eduard Folayang, both coming off disappointing losses, are coming back to the cage on Dec. 6 for the ONE FC Moment of Truth at the Mall of Asia.
Banario, a multi-title wushu athlete, wants to take back the title from Japanese Koji Oishi who knocked him out in their previous title duel last May, also held at the MOA Arena.
It’s the ONE FC’s year-ending event that Victor wants to end with a bang. For Victor, the Philippines remains the fight capital of Asia. And no one seems to argue.
After all, he just happens to be the most powerful man in Asian MMA, bar none.
