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ONE Championship is gearing up for its biggest year in history, as Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong revealed the promotion’s plans to kick off the first quarter of 2024 with three premium events. He made the announcement in a Facebook post on Sunday, November 19.
A Triumphant Return to Japan
The highlight of this revelation is the promotion’s intention to make a triumphant return to Japan in 2024 with ONE 165. The event will mark ONE’s first show in Japan since 2019, when it hosted three blockbuster cards at Tokyo’s iconic Ryogoku Kokugikan. The venue witnessed some of the most memorable moments in ONE history, such as Aung La N Sang’s double title defense, Demetrious Johnson’s flyweight grand prix victory, and Angela Lee’s epic comeback against Xiong Jing Nan.
The date and location for ONE 165 have not been announced yet, but fans can expect a stacked card featuring some of the best martial artists from Japan and around the world.
A Debut in Qatar
Notably, Sityodtong also shared a significant update regarding ONE’s debut in Qatar. Originally slated for December 1, the Qatar event — now numbered ONE 166 — will take place on March 1, with no explicit reasons provided for the shift.
It’s worth noting that the Qatar and Japan shows mark the return of numbered events on ONE’s calendar. ONE 164 is the most recent and went down in the Philippines in December 2022.
The Qatar event will be the first time that ONE will showcase its brand of martial arts action in the Middle East, a region that has a rich history and culture of combat sports. The event will also feature some of the top talents from the region, as well as international stars.
A Fight Night in Singapore
Adding to the excitement, Chatri divulged that Singapore would play host to ONE Fight Night 19 on Prime Video. It’s set to happen on February 17, according to ONE’s website. The event will be the first of many that ONE will stream exclusively on Prime Video, as part of a landmark deal that was announced in October 2023.
The deal will give Prime Video subscribers access to live and on-demand content from ONE, including its flagship events, its all-women’s league ONE Empower, and its reality show The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition.
The Singapore event will feature some of the best fighters from the Lion City, as well as other exciting matchups across various weight classes and disciplines.
A Global Expansion
Chatri Sityodtong, known for his surprises, didn’t stop there. In particular, he teased “some exciting news” about Europe, leaving fans on the edge of their seats with speculation about potential developments on the continent.
Further fueling the intrigue, Chatri will announce the initial dates and locations for ONE’s four-event series in the United States next year in the coming weeks.
This move signals the promotion’s commitment to widening its footprint in the global martial arts landscape, as it aims to showcase its unique values, stories, and heroes to a wider audience.
With these plans in place, ONE Championship is getting ready to take over the world in 2024 with its biggest year in history. Fans can expect more thrilling action, more inspiring stories, and more martial arts excellence from the Home of Martial Arts.
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