ONE Championship chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong said they will take a very measured approach before formally returning to holding live events.

Sityodtong said the promotion will not rush into staging live MMA cards, citing that safety of the staff, fans, and athletes is their top priority.

The last time the promotion staged a live event was in February when it held ONE: King of the Jungle in Singapore, shortly before air travel was restricted due to COVID-19.

“At ONE Championship, we have the same level of intensity, but I would say we are a little more prudent, because safety is our highest priority,” Sityodtong said.

“We are not in a rush to come back just for the sake of coming back due to our financial commitments to broadcasters and brands and whatnot.

“We want to come back in an environment where we are sure that we can do it safely for all parties involved.”

Sityodtong added that apart from the safety protocols they are planning to set up, another challenge for the promotion in staging events across Asia are the varying rule sets they have to abide by.

“Different governments have different policies on their borders, as well as their lockdown policies, so that’s been a little bit tricky in getting everything up and running,” he said.

“But my team and I have been working on it nonstop, and we feel pretty good about it.”

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