ONE Championship To Have Closed-Door, Audience-Free Events

In the wake of the coronavirus, multiple events all over the world have been cancelled or delayed until further notice. One of the biggest organizations to feels the affects of the virus has been ONE Championship.

ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong has already had to alter several events due to the virus that started in China. Just recently, King of the Jungle was closed off to fans while ONE: Heart of Heroes, set to take place in Ho Chi Minh City, was postponed until further notice. Now, he has taken extra steps just to be safe.

Chatri posted on social media that all ONE Championship events will be closed-door, audience-free events. This is going into effect until at least the end of May. Those who bought tickets to events beforehand will be given a refund.

“BREAKING NEWS: My team and I have decided to turn all events for ONE Championship into closed-door, audience-free events effective immediately. Bar none, the safety of our fans, athletes, staff, partners, and the public is the highest priority for ONE Championship. All scheduled ONE events with live audiences will now be suspended until at least May 29, 2020 due to the extraordinary COVID-19 global situation.

“For the millions of fans at home around the world, the show will go on from the comfort and safety of your living room. Our global broadcast shows behind closed doors will commence in Singapore with an initial schedule of April 17, April 24, May 1, and May 8 respectively. Bout cards will be announced shortly for these broadcast-only shows, and additional dates will be added in the near future. Also, ONE Infinity Series, the world apex of martial arts events, is now slated to kick off on May 29, 2020 in Manila, Philippines with ONE Infinity 1 at the Mall of Asia Arena.

“We are operating in truly extraordinary times, but my team and I remain committed to providing you the best sports and entertainment action available anywhere on global broadcast today. ONE Championship will continue to thrill you with the greatest martial artists on the planet and inspire you with their incredible stories. This virus might be on the attack right now, but I believe in the power of the human spirit. LET’S GOOOOO!!! #WeAreONE”

ONE has joined multiple combat sports that has had to change plans due to the coronavirus. Combate Americas, KSW, Ares, the International Judo Federation and the Grand Sumo Tournament have all had to find ways around the epidemic.

According to the latest from CNN, over 124,000 cases of the virus have been confirmed with over 4,607 deaths.