Does ONE FC Still Think Hype Replaces Facts?

Does ONE FC Still Think Hype Replaces Facts?

Published on January 26, 2012 by The Editor in ONEFC

It Appears ONE FC still cannot talk hype free!

ONE FC kings of hype in Asia won’t talk to me, I’m not in the ‘Inner Circle,’ so I don’t get stories, it’s a shame, but it does mean that nobody can tell me what I can and cannot  post  instead of the  hand fed articles and PR hype that the ‘Inner Circle’ are all happy to repost time and time again, sure they get access to the fighters and I don’t, it’s just a shame they are happy to just post puff pieces.

I have said it before and I will say it again, I hope ONE FC does become the biggest most prestigious MMA organisation in Asia, I really do, it will be awesome for Singapore, for Asia for the fans and for the fighters.

But please let’s get a decent copy writer and marketing team in place and start building up the excitement with real stories and facts not the weekly ‘Tickets are selling out fast’ story that keeps getting reposted time and time again. I heard it non stop for the first event, it’s like the boy who cried Wolf, they never ever sold out, not even close!

Look, I genuinely think ONE FC would be better off saying stuff like ‘Our first event in Singapore was a massive success with a crowd of 6000+ screaming MMA fans, all enjoying seeing MMA finally breaking through in Singapore, launching what will, we hope become the biggest and most prestigious MMA organisation in the whole of Asia. With representation from all over the region, this truly was the launch of something big!’

But they don’t do that they do this: from todays latest ONE FC facebook post:-

‘ONE Fighting Championship™ is Asia’s largest and most prestigious Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) organization. After a sold-out debut in Singapore on 3 September 2011, ONE Fighting Championship™ is holding its first event in 2012 in Jakarta, Indonesia. Fans of MMA can look forward to ten fights of non-stop adrenaline and excitement as 20 champions compete for honor and glory. Champions from every major martial art, including some of Indonesia’s own heroes, will proudly represent their nations in an epic clash of skill, determination and pure athleticism.

ONE Fighting Championship™ is broadcast across Asia to over 500 million viewers and 24 countries, showcasing the best athletes from around the world’.

Yes, I get it obviously sponsors don’t care for facts in Asia, they like over blown hype but come on it’s so pathetic! What must the rest of the world think?  

Let’s look at the facts:

If ONE FC is the largest and most prestigious MMA organisation in Asia what does that say for all the organisations that have been toiling for years to build an audience? How do you measure this claim. You don’t its arrogant bullshit. What it could be is a statement of intent. ‘ONE FC striving to be the biggest, most prestigious  MMA organisation in Asia and beyond’ But, I guess it’s best not to play it humble!

Sold Out Debut in Singapore. Really? Really? Half the stadium was curtained off and what was left still had some empty seats, do you really believe the people who were there did not notice this?

20 Champions, REALLY? Come on please, some of these fighters are genuine champions and ONE FC should be proud to have them, others are up and coming and ONE FC should be proud of that fact, they are growing MMA in Asia.

Anyway, I am sure this will ensure that I continue to be ignored by the powers at ONE FC but what the hell, MMA fans in Asia deserve some reality and plus, as many people have already told me, I am an asshole, so I might as well play the part.

What I am is a realist more importantly, I am an ex Sales and Marketing Manager who always had to back up claims for his teams performance with facts, not fakes! Believe me, facts are better, people cam strive to improve if they can see the numbers but if they are in a fog of unreality how do you really know where you are? I get that things may be different in Asia, but really are they. If you told a sponsor to expect 500 million viewers and the real numbers came in way below that number are they really just as happy?

Let’s not forget this tag line “Asia’s Ultimate Mixed Martial Arts Combat Championship” do you remember that  show? Yes, it was Martial Combat, Singapore’s first MMA show. It was essentially  a warm up before VC  set up ONE FC. It was a good event with good coverage that all MMA fans in Asia would have enjoyed, but realistically it was NEVER Asia’s Ultimate anything! The crowds cage side were nothing to write home about and I don’t know what the TV figures were but I cannot imagine they troubled the BPL numbers even though the broadcaster boasted of access to 24 different countries and 300 million people. These things take time, hype cannot fill a void, people do.

I would love to speak to Victor Cui, in fact Victor, I invite you to let me interview you for my podcast, I promise I won’t censor anything, you can say anything you like providing you are prepared to answer my questions honestly. I am open to admit that I might be missing something, maybe I am missing the point altogether and let’s be honest Victor is a much better business man than I ever was, so I probably am. I don’t want to be considered an enemy of ONE FC, I’m not, I’m a big fan, I just consider  reporting facts more important than regurgitating fiction.

In the UK for many years Sir Alex Ferguson of Manchester United refused to speak to the BBC because he was unhappy with something they reported. In the spirit of hype and bullshit I should claim this to be as big a snub, it’s not and nobody cares but  let’s pretend!

So that’s todays news story from MMA News Asia.com the Biggest and Most Influential Website Covering Mixed Martial Arts in the World (probably) (NOT!).