For months now, the rumors of Bellator MMA being up on the market have been a giant speaking level in fight sports activities.
Whereas the PFL has been closely linked to buying the promotion for a while, there was additionally seemingly one other celebration that was within the buy at one time limit.
Although the PFL could also be now seen as the most important competitor to the UFC in america, ONE Championship can also be trying to enhance its footprint abroad. The Singapore-based promotion held it is first occasion on US soil earlier this 12 months, and due to its partnership with Amazon, the growth is simply getting began.
In a current article by Entrance Workplace Reviews, that includes an interview with the promotion’s CEO Chatri Sityodtong, it was revealed that ONE was concerned in talks about buying Bellator however did not progress so far as the PFL.
Chatri Sityodtong: ONE Championship Is Solely In ‘Natural Progress’
Because the promotion seems to proceed rising within the US, buying Bellator might have been a house run transfer to massively enhance ONE’s footprint exterior of Asia.
That being stated, it does not seem like one thing that was excessive on the priorities of Sityodtong, who spoke about his group’s resolution to not pursue the deal closely.
“We imagine that natural development is the appropriate path for ONE Championship,” Sityodtong instructed Entrance Workplace Sports activities. “Different organizations could really feel the necessity to merge in the event that they’re missing in a single space or one other. From ONE Championship’s perspective, we imagine in our international model.”
Continuously referencing the promotion’s viewing and social media figures, Sityodtong has all the time seen ONE Championship as being on par with the UFC in lots of elements.
“The truth is that whenever you take a look at fight sports activities globally, there are two 800-pound gorillas: UFC within the Western Hemisphere and ONE Championship within the Japanese Hemisphere.”
With a number of occasions in america being deliberate for 2024, ONE will look to construct on the sold-out ONE Battle Evening 10 card that marked a brand new period for the promotion with its US debut.
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