One cancels 2 events, to hold 4 closed-door shows
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American fighter Janet Todd on her way to taking the atomweight kickboxing title away from Thailand's Stamp Fairtex in the King of the Jungle closed-door event at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Feb 28.
ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
One Championship said yesterday it will move to closed-door, audience-free events because of the coronavirus pandemic. The mixed martial arts (MMA) organisation added that it has suspended fights in Jakarta (April 10) and Kuala Lumpur (April 17).
This follows a March 6 statement that its March 20 Ho Chi Minh City event will be postponed to June.
It will instead have four closed-door shows in Singapore (April 17 and 24, May 1 and 8) and broadcast them globally. The Feb 28 King of the Jungle event at the Singapore Indoor Stadium was staged in similar fashion.
It plans to resume normal operations with a live event, Infinity 1 in Manila on May 29, but this is subject to change if the situation deteriorates.
One chairman and chief executive officer Chatri Sityodtong said: "Bar none, the safety of our fans, athletes, staff, partners, and the public is the highest priority.
"We are operating in truly extraordinary times, but my team and I remain committed to providing the best sports and entertainment action available anywhere on global broadcast today."
Other combat sports organisations worldwide have also reacted to the worsening Covid-19 situation.
America's Ultimate Fighting Championship has decided to go ahead with its events but has barred fans, UFC president Dana White said on Thursday.
On Saturday, it has a Fight Night event in Brasilia, Brazil, a country which has 77 confirmed cases.
Boxing promotion Top Rank cancelled two events, scheduled for Saturday and next Tuesday in New York City. It had earlier said the events, which include a World Boxing Organisation world title fight, would proceed behind closed doors. It made the decision after consulting the New York State Athletic Commission, which oversees boxing and combat sport events in the American state, which has over 300 confirmed cases.
