HAIER and ONE Championship have formally announced a strategic partnership just in time for the Asia-Pacific mixed-martial arts (MMA) promotion’s return to the country this December for the “Spirit of Champions” fight card at the Mall of Asia Arena.
In the main event, Filipino-American superstar Brandon “The Truth” Vera takes on basketball player turned MMA and kickboxing fighter Chi-Lewis Parry for the right to become the promotion’s inaugural heavyweight champion.
Also part of the nine-match fight card is bantamweight prospect Mark “Mugen” Striegl, who last fought and came out victorious against then-unbeaten American Casey Suire via rear-naked choke submission.
Haier Asia President and CEO Yoshiaki Ito, who admittedly is also an avid martial-arts practitioner, said that the strategic alliance between the two major brands in the region came at a perfect time for the parties involved.
“From our perspective, we’re sharing the same vision as ONE Championship. The founder and chairman of the group, Chatri Sityodtong, has the vision to bring ONE Championship from Asia-based to a global top-runner. We have the same vision at Haier Asia,” Ito noted.
A leading maker of household appliances and gadgets in the Philippines in the last two decades, Haier is set to make a major relaunch in time for ONE Championship’s second event in the country this year.
“There’s no better timing than this. This is the perfect time for us, as we’re trying to relaunch the brand the country. The Philippine timing was the best, mainly because of our relaunch this November. It’s perfect,” he said. Diego de la Paz
Ito also noted that MMA as a sport has exploded in the Asia-Pacific region, with so many fighters coming out of the Philippines, Thailand, and Singapore, which was key in formalizing Haier’s partnership with ONE Championship.
“MMA is the biggest sporting content in this region. Every country in the region, there’s a new top fighter coming out. I’m looking forward to more new Filipino fighters coming out,” Ito remarked.