One Championship ready to rumble in Hollywood with MMA movie starring Russell Crowe

SINGAPORE - It has punched its way into the American market over the last two years, and now, Singapore-based mixed martial arts (MMA) organisation One Championship is aiming to make headway in Hollywood too.

In a statement on Sept 12, One announced a partnership with The Beast In Me, a feature-length action drama film starring and co-written by Academy Award winner Russell Crowe.

In the film, Crowe plays a veteran trainer that helps a former MMA fighter, played by Daniel Macpherson, to avenge a personal tragedy by coming out of retirement to compete in One.

Filming is scheduled to begin at the end of 2024 and one of the locations will be the Impact Arena in Bangkok, where One will stage a live event in January.

American entertainment news outlet Variety reported that One Championship will take a production partner and consultant credit. It added that One co-founder and chief executive Chatri Sityodtong will appear on screen in a role as an executive.

Chatri said in One’s statement that he was confident that his organisation is “the best platform to help tell (the movie’s) story of grit, perseverance, and determination”.

David Frigerio, producer and co-writer of the movie, said: “With access to One’s vast network of athletes and events, we are poised to deliver an exhilarating cinematic experience that reflects the true heart of martial arts.”

One was founded in 2011 and staged its first event in September that year, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Since then, it has held nearly 300 live events in 13 countries and territories across Asia.

Over the years, it has become the home for some storied MMA names like Shinya Aoki, Demetrious Johnson and Eddie Alvarez, and has also produced stars of their own like the Lee siblings Angela and Christian.

In April 2022, One and Amazon Prime Video signed a five-year agreement to broadcast 12 events annually to the North American market.

It paved the way for One to stage its first major event in the US, in Broomfield, Colorado, in May 2023. One followed that up with an event in Denver, Colorado on Sept 6, and is slated to stage its third show in the US, in Atlanta, Georgia, on Nov 8.

MMA is no stranger to the big screen, going as far back to Jean-Claude Van Damme’s cult classic Bloodsport (1988) – which came out more than two decades before formal MMA rulesets were even formed.

More contemporary flicks include Warrior (2011), starring Tom Hardy, and comedy Here Comes The Boom (2012), starring Kevin James.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) star Conor McGregor stole the show as a bad guy in the 2024 remake of 1989’s Road House, while Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will star as former UFC champion Mike Kerr in a biopic slated to be released in 2025.

These films, though, mostly feature only the US-based UFC. With The Beast In Me, One and Chatri, who has made no secret of his desire to usurp the UFC’s spot as the sport’s global leader, are ready to step into the cage and deliver their own bodyslam to the box office.