“We love Denver and Denver loves us” - Chatri Sityodtong grateful for another historic ONE Championship card in Colorado
ONE Championship hosted another well-received live on-ground event in Colorado, U.S.A., last week, something its chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong was very grateful for.
The 'Home of Martial Arts' held ONE 168 at a sold-out Ball Arena in Denver on Sept. 6, which Sityodtong said surpassed even the promotion's own expectations.
Speaking during the post-event press conference for ONE 168, the ONE executive shared his appreciation for the American fans for embracing the organization and coming out to support the event.
Sityodtong said:
"Definitely. We love Denver, you know. The original plan was to come to Denver to honor the birthplace of American mixed martial arts. Of course, the sport of mixed martial arts was born in Japan, I think in the early 80s. But obviously, here in 1993 in the U.S. But that was the intent, but you know, we love Denver and Denver loves us."
He added:
"But actually, half the audience flew out from the state. That was another surprising factor for us. I think 90 to 95 percent in terms of capacity in attendance. So it was great. Much better than we expected. So I do think we will come back to Denver for sure. Definitely. Thank you, Denver."
Check out what he had to say below:
ONE 168: Denver was ONE's second live on-ground event in the U.S. after ONE Fight Night 10 in May last year, also held in the Colorado area.
At the latest ONE Championship event, fans saw, among other things, a new ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world champion crowned in Superlek Kiatmoo9 and the exit of MMA legend and now former ONE flyweight MMA king Demetrious Johnson from the multifaceted sport of mixed martial arts.
The full replay of ONE 168 is available on demand for Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.
ONE Championship breaks new ground in Atlanta in November
ONE Championship's United States push this year continues in November as it holds it first event in the state of Georgia with ONE 169 in Atlanta.
Set at the State Farm Arena, home of the NBA's Atlanta Hawks, on Nov. 8, it will be the promotion's third live on-ground event on American soil after the two Colorado events in May last year and earlier this month, but first in the East Coast.
ONE 169: Atlanta will be headlined by the ONE heavyweight MMA world title fight between reigning champion Anatoly Malykhin of Russia and Senegalese challenger Oumar 'Reug Reug' Kane.
The event will be broadcast over Amazon Prime Video while tickets are available for purchase via Ticketmaster.