Press Release – 28 November, 2011 – Singapore: Asia’ss largest MMA promotions, ONE Fighting Championship™ and DREAM, have entered into a mutually exclusive partnership, signifying another monumental inflection point for the sport of MMA in Asia.
Specifically, ONE Fighting Championship and DREAM have agreed to co-promote events together and have also agreed to fighter exchanges. Fighter exchanges are expected to happen with immediate effect. It means that any ONE FC fighter will automatically be eligible to compete on DREAM and any DREAM fighter will automatically be eligible to compete on ONE FC.
In addition, the first co-promotion is tentatively scheduled for March 31 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in the name of “ONE FC / DREAM in Singapore,” subject to approval by media partners and other third parties. In the future, both parties will work together to co-promote events in Japan to evolve the sport of MMA in Asia.
Victor Cui, CEO/Owner of ONE Fighting Championship, said, ”I am thrilled by this partnership. Japan has the highest level of MMA fighters in Asia due to its long history in the sport. DREAM is the most prestigious event in Japan. With this partnership, ONE Fighting Championship and DREAM will continue to showcase the most exciting fights between the best fighters in Asia. I am truly excited by the potential of this partnership to create new opportunities for fighters, gyms, sponsors, advertisers, and media partners.”
Keiichi Sasahara, Event Producer of DREAM, said, “DREAM and ONE Fighting Championship will work together to lead the sport of MMA in Asia to a better future. DREAM has some of the best fighters in the world and we also have deep experience of putting on world-class events. ONE Fighting Championship has the largest media platform in Asia and many other assets. I see many great synergies with this partnership. It is certainly a new era for everyone in Asian MMA.”
About ONE Fighting Championship™
Headquartered in Singapore, ONE Fighting Championship™ (http://www.onefc.com) is Asia’s largest mixed martial arts organization. ONE Fighting Championship hosts the most prestigious mixed martial arts event in Asia and is the only Asian MMA organization with a pan-Asian media broadcast.
About DREAM™
Headquartered in Tokyo, DREAM (http://www.dreamofficial.com) is the only major Japanese major mixed martial arts organization. It started in 2008 and has since held 19 events. World-class fighters such as Shinya Aoki, Tatsuya Kawajiri, Hiroyuki Takaya, and Gegard Mousasi are a few of the many names that have been fighting for the organization. DREAM is widely regarded as the top MMA event in Asia and is aiming for the Asian market in 2012 in order to take a leadership role to bring the Asian MMA scene to the next level.