ONE Championship has announced that Ringside Unified Fighting (RUF Nation) will host a 16-man “Road to ONE” heavyweight tournament that begins on March 13 at RUF 39.
The “Road to ONE” victor will take home a contract worth $100,000 and join the growing heavyweight roster in ONE where Brandon “The Truth” Vera sits atop the mountain.
“One of our most important goals at ONE Championship has been to give athletes the biggest global platform to showcase their skills. We’re more than excited for this tournament to commence and to discover the world’s next heavyweight superstar,” said Vice President of ONE Championship Rich Franklin.
The American-based promotion will be the proving ground for the heavyweight talents to showcase their skills. RUF Nation will announce the participants and first-round matchups at a later date.
In the press release, Dr. Joel Lopez, President of RUF Nation, spoke about his excitement for the upcoming tournament and its prospect for uncovering new American stars.
Dr. Lopez said, “I’m ecstatic for the opportunity ONE Championship has given us at RUF Nation to partner on a ‘Road To ONE’ tournament.”
“RUF is poised with the ideal stage for recruitment, and the response from applicants has been overwhelming so far. I believe this tournament will produce some of the best undiscovered talent in the U.S. to add to ONE’s roster.”
The tournament winner will take a seat on a global roster that has seen new faces such as Iranian Amir Aliakbari and Senegal’s Oumar Kane join the ranks alongside ONE veterans such as Italy’s Mauro Cerilli and others to display the heavyweight division’s growth around the world.
The “Road to ONE” will not end with the heavyweights. Fans can expect more athletes to get a golden opportunity later this year.
RUF Nation will play host to additional “Road to ONE” tournaments in 2021 in different weight classes that will also grant its winners a $100,000 contract to step into the ONE Circle. Athletes based in the U.S. will have more chances to have a breakout year and sign a lucrative contract with ONE.
These tournaments will undoubtedly provide a massive opportunity to its competitors, and the heavyweights take to the stage first.
A clear-cut path to jump onto the global stage and compete under the bright lights of ONE has been shown to the 16 prospective heavyweights, but the “Road to ONE” will not be easy when the bell rings at RUF 39 on March 13.
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