“Rich Franklin’s ONE Warrior Series” goes in hunt of Asia’s next martial arts superstars
One Championship
November 23, 2017
23:39 MYT
Former middleweight world champion Rich “Ace” Franklin will hit the road in search of new stars for ONE Championship, embarking on a new series coming to television and social media channels early in 2018.
“Rich Franklin’s ONE Warrior Series” will see “Ace” travel across Asia, visiting gyms accompanied by ONE’s in-house production team, as he scours the continent for the best undiscovered martial arts talents.
The best athletes unearthed during the series will be handed a six-figure contract to compete under the bright lights on the global stage of ONE Championship.
The new series was first announced by Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, who 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 centre 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.”
Former world middleweight champion Franklin became Vice President of ONE Championship back in April 2014, and is one of the main faces of the organisation. The living legend says he’s looking forward to his continent-wide quest to find the next stars of ONE Championship.
“Asia is the hotbed of the industry’s top martial arts prospects. It comes as no surprise, since martial arts has been home to the region for the past 5000 years,” he explained.
“Throughout my time in ONE Championship, I have been witness to some of the best martial arts talent I have ever seen. Stars today such as Angela Lee and Eduard Folayang came from the grassroots level of talent in Asia, and the next martial arts superstar is just waiting to be discovered.”
During the series Franklin will visit gyms across the continent, including Bangkok, Thailand; Manila, Philippines; Seoul, South Korea; Tokyo, Japan; and Beijing, China.
During his gym visits, athletes will get the opportunity to audition for the show as they go through a number of tests. If successful, they’ll be pitched into an exhibition bout, with the prize of a six-figure ONE Championship contract on the line.
It promises to deliver an exciting spectacle, as Franklin takes in the varied cultural experiences Asia has to offer, all while running the rule over the top up-and-coming talent on the continent.
ONE has already unearthed local stars such as Malaysia’s Agilan “Alligator” Thani, Singapore’s Amir Khan, and Thailand’s Shannon “OneShin” Wiratchai. Now, the hunt is on for the next generation.
“Follow me on this journey to showcase Asia’s greatest cultural treasure, and join me on the hunt to find ONE Championship’s new wave of superstars,” said Franklin.
“Rich Franklin’s ONE Warrior Series” is scheduled to premiere in the first quarter of 2018.
