ONE Championship Adds Talent Search Content to Marketing Weaponry

The series “Rich Franklin’s ONE Warrior Series” – due for broadcast in Q118 – features martial arts legend Rich “Ace” Franklin as he travels from gym to gym across Asia to unearth and mentor the next martial arts superstar. Each 30-minute episode will track Franklin’s talent hunt across local gyms in Bangkok, Manila, Seoul, Tokyo and Beijing, and will be screened across social media and online, as well as ONE’s broadcast partners.

The screening and tryouts process for the series will consist of pad sessions, grappling demonstrations, conditioning exams, and an interview process, among others. Once selected, athletes will compete in trial exhibition bouts with a shot at earning a six-figure contract with ONE Championship based on performance.

Chatri Sityodtong, chairman and CEO of ONE Championship said, “I am pleased to announce Rich Franklin’s ONE Warrior Series. At ONE Championship, one of our biggest missions is taking martial arts, Asia’s greatest cultural treasure, and placing it front and center for the entire world to witness. One of the ways to do this is by developing local homegrown martial arts superheroes. We are excited to travel across Asia, visiting the most iconic cities, to discover the next big superstar.”

With various MMA properties building a loyal fan following among Asian audiences, the move for rightsholders to create compelling, behind-the-scenes content becomes pivotal as brands can latch onto this turf with clever partnerships.