MMA: ONE Championship seals deal with Temasek, eyes $1 billion valuation

Asia's largest mixed martial arts (MMA) organisation, ONE Championship recently announced that it has received an “eight figure” investment from Singapore's investment firm Temasek Holdings.

The huge investment from Temasek's division, Heliconia Capital Management, has put ONE Championship on track for a potential USD$1 billion valuation by the end of 2017.

The new partnership will also increase the number of live MMA events across Asia, especially in China, it said in a statement.

ONE Championship founder and chairman, Chatri Sityodtong said ONE Championship has grown into a global brand with a broadcast reach to over 1 billion homes across 118 countries around the world in less than five years.

"My team and I are fully committed to building a global business with strong ethics and values such as integrity, respect, humility, courage and inspiration.

"As Asia’s largest sports media property and the second largest MMA organization in the world, ONE Championship will benefit significantly from Heliconia’s ecosystem, network, and resources," he said in a statement.

The partnership will also unlock additional markets and opportunities for ONE Championship, according to its CEO Victor Cui.

MMA is currently the fastest growing sport in the world, accelerating exponentially by over 30 times in the past 10 years.

In the past five years, ONE Championship has accelerated the growth of MMA in Asia as the market leader, organising live events across the region and broadcasting around the world.

Having Filipino boxing hero Manny Pacquiao as one if its shareholder, ONE Championship has consistently partnered with top blue chip global brands around the world like Disney, Facebook, Marvel, Under Armour, Sony, Universal Music Group, and L'Oreal.

Meanwhile, Heliconia CEO Derek Lau believed that ONE Championship can potentially be the next big thing for consumers in Asia.

"They have the right product for Asia, they understand Asia and know how to monetise the value proposition in various ways in the New Economy.

"We are really excited to see ONE Championship taking the lead in the coming years to grow the sports media and entertainment industry in Asia," he said.

On Monday, world's leading MMA league the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) said it is being bought for USD$4 billion by a combination of the sports and arts talent group WME-IMG backed by private equity groups, reported AFP.

The 23 year old group, which has led the rise of the popularity of MMA against flagging interest in traditional boxing, said the move will help boost the global growth of the organization and the sport.