Nearly 30 years after the UFC held its first fight card in Denver, the Singapore-based ONE Championship is set to put on its inaugural US event in the Colorado city as it seeks to challenge its rival promotion’s dominance on its own territory.

ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong says that while the Colorado state commission was particularly eager to host the fight, the location is also a “celebration of the birthplace of American mixed martial arts” and Friday’s event will be the first of many for the franchise in the United States.

“It’s a very historic moment for the company,” he told Al Jazeera.

“The UFC has a lion’s share of the Western Hemisphere [martial arts audience]. We have a lion’s share of the Eastern Hemisphere,” Sityodtong said. “I believe with 8 billion people in the world that the world is big enough for two global combat sports giants.”

The Thai-Japanese businessman and lifelong martial artist co-founded ONE in 2011. The company has since grown to be worth an estimated $1bn and is backed by investors that include Sequoia Capital and the Qatar Investment Authority.

Its fighters include greats such as MMA flyweight Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson and Muay Thai fighter Rodtang Jitmuangnon, both of whom are fighting on Friday’s card.

Unlike the UFC – which only features mixed martial arts, or MMA – ONE’s fight cards also include contests in other disciplines, such as submission grappling, Muay Thai and kickboxing.

In 2021, ONE was ranked among the world’s top five biggest sports media properties in terms of viewership and engagement, according to US-based market measurement firm Nielsen. That put it ahead of the UFC in terms of digital viewership, digital fan engagement and cumulative reach in global broadcast television.

While huge in Asia, ONE is relatively unknown in the US and is reportedly losing money.

Sityodtong says ONE has been steadily building its brand, content engines and roster to the point where it is ready to shift from investment to monetisation and make the jump to the US.

“You can’t come into America with anything less than the very best athletes, the very best world champions, the very best production values, the very best brand,” he said.

Sityodtong said ONE will bring a more wholesome and “authentic” martial arts ethos to the US – a swipe at the florid trash talk, threats and peacocking often found in the UFC – and says fighters should be role models.

“Why do millions of parents send their kids to martial arts schools all over the world? It’s not to become a trash talker, insulting other people’s religions and families and children. It’s to learn honour, respect, work ethic and courage and all the incredible values that martial arts espouses. And we hope to showcase authentic martial arts,” he said.

But some industry insiders believe ONE will struggle to lay a glove on the UFC in North America.

MMA commentator Sean Wheelock told Al Jazeera that international martial arts promotions need to get a foothold in North America and Denver is well-respected as a sports city. But he says the UFC has grown too dominant to challenge and MMA fans in the US are by default UFC fans.

“For ONE Championship, I think it’s a major step for them. I think if you’re the UFC, you don’t even pay it any attention,” he said.

The UFC, meanwhile, is going from strength to strength. This year, it merged with WWE into a company reportedly valued at $21bn.

Wheelock said ONE’s real competitors are promotions such as Bellator and the Professional Fighters League (PFL).

“Trying to be a dominant second position in a very, very lucrative and profitable industry. That’s something that ONE could definitely attain.”

Read the rest of the article published by Al Jazeera English here.