ONE Championship’s Australian MMA fighters are calling for the promotion to finally bring an event Down Under.
The global martial arts organisation currently dominates the Asian combat sports market — even finding success in America over the past few years — but has yet to stage an on-ground event on Australian soil.
Mixed Martial Arts has exploded in popularity throughout the southern hemisphere over the past decade, more locally challenging Australia’s sporting status quo long held by Australian Rules Football, Rugby League, and cricket.
Fast forward to 2025, and it’s not uncommon to find thousands of Aussie fight fans flocking to pubs to watch their hometown heroes throw down inside the cage.
The fight craze “Down Under” has only grown thanks to the efforts of former UFC middleweight champion Robert ‘The Reaper’ Whittaker and current UFC kingpins Alexander ‘The Great’ Volkanovski and Jack Della Maddalena, who hold the American giant’s featherweight and welterweight belts, respectively.
The UFC has long been the leading MMA organisation in Australia, with the company even striking a mutually beneficial deal with the NSW government to host multiple events in Sydney. This past May, the PFL also announced its new Pacific League, which is set to hold events in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.
In order to keep up with competitors, ONE Championship must take advantage of the landmark TV deal it signed with Seven Network back in 2023, and join the global martial arts expansion into Australia.
Several athletes from ONE have spoken exclusively with Fight News Australia about their desire to compete on home soil in front of their friends and families, as well as thousands of die-hard Aussie fight fans.
Recently retired former two-division ONE MMA world champion Martin Nguyen revealed that he has been pushing the idea onto the ONE brass since he started with the company over a decade ago.
“It’s always been talked about, I understand Chatri is doing his thing and trying to get it over here as well, it’s a huge milestone if it does,” Nguyen said.
“It’s always almost there, and then it’s not, and then COVID came in and it just killed momentum. If it happens, it happens; if it doesn’t, then I’m still grateful that (I was) able to travel around the world and do what I love.”
Current welterweight MMA contender Isi Fitikefu said he would love the opportunity to be part of such an event. After his last fight was cancelled due to his opponent missing weight, a new matchup in his own country would be the perfect homecoming – and he has a city in mind.
“If that happens, I’m the first person to put my hand up, and if that does happen, I hope it happens in Sydney,” Fitikefu told Fight News Australia.
“I’d love to put on a show for the family and the fans, hopefully it happens in the future.”
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Prior to his own retirement earlier this year, former two-time ONE Muay Thai world title challenger and top-five flyweight MMA contender Danial Williams claimed ONE “definitely has the potential” to pull off something special in Australia.
“The Channel 7 deal that they got, they want to probably push that a bit more, their brand here,” Williams said.
“You see UFC [events] here sell out, it’s absolutely crazy. It’d be stupid if they [ONE] didn’t try and get here, just to try and build their brand.
“That would be like another dream come true to fight on a big card here in Australia. I wouldn’t have to travel anywhere, so that’s a bonus.”
ONE has a strong contingent of Australian talent plying their trade on its multi-discipline platform.
Reece ‘Lightning’ McLaren is on the cusp of a long-awaited second crack at ONE flyweight MMA gold, while Fitikefu has surged towards the pointy end of the welterweight MMA rankings over the past year.
Such a momentous event on Australian soil could also tempt long-time fan favourite fighters Nguyen and Williams out of retirement, whilst a bevy of local stars could feature on the undercard, such as former ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Title challenger Izaak Michell, and rising stars out of Sydney’s Family Fight Team such as Coopar Royal, Antonio Mammarella, and Faine Mesquita.
Pictured below is a mock promotional poster for a potential Sydney card.
Fans in Australia can watch ONE Championship live through 7 Sport or the 7+ app.
