SINGAPORE - Touted as Asia's answer to the widely popular, United States-based Ultimate Fighting Championship, a mixed martial arts (MMA) series, Martial Combat, makes its debut at Resorts World™ Sentosa on May 14.
And fans in the region could see the likes of celebrity boxer Laila Ali - daughter of legendary heavyweight boxer Muhammad Ali - and professional wrestler Ken Shamrock competing or hosting the championship in future, as organisers here aim to emulate the sport's success in the US.
MMA is a combination of the various martial art forms, including muay thai, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, boxing and wrestling.
"We think this is the fastest growing sport in Asia and there is great interest in grassroot competitions and clubs like Evolve are seeing success here," Victor Cui, senior director of ESPN Star Sports, Event Management, told MediaCorp on Friday.
Added Evolve MMA chairman, Chatri Sityodtong: "We believe this is going to be as big as Formula 1 in Asia."
Co-organised by ESPN Star Sports and Resorts World™ Sentosa, Martial Combat is a 12-event series (May to October) comprising 60 fights between some of the most popular fighters in the world, such as Brazilian Leandro Thomas Issa da Silva, the world jiu-jitsu champion.
While prize money and ticket details have not been determined, event organisers are targeting a crowd of about 3,500 for Martial Combat's first night at the Resorts World™ Sentosa's 6,000 to 6,500-capacity Compass Ballroom.
Singapore fans can get a glimpse of what the sport is all about daily at Raffles Place from Monday to Friday (12pm to 2pm), with Evolve MMA hosting exhibition matches featuring some of the best MMA pugilists. Low Lin Fhoong
Story Source : TODAY Online
