ONE Championship has just announced the production of new documentary series "Rich Franklin's ONE Warrior Series" which features martial arts legend Rich "Ace" Franklin as he travels from gym to gym all across Asia in search of the next martial arts superstar.
Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated: "I am pleased to announce Rich Franklin's ONE Warrior Series. At ONE Championship, one of our biggest missions is taking martial arts, Asia's greatest cultural treasure, and placing it front and center for the entire world to witness. One of the ways to do this is by developing local homegrown martial arts superheroes. We are excited to travel across Asia, visiting the most iconic cities, to discover the next big superstar."
Franklin, a multiple-time middleweight world champion, will travel to various Asian nations to visit local gyms beginning in Bangkok, Manila, Seoul, Tokyo and Beijing to discover new and upcoming martial arts talent. Deserving prospects will be rewarded with a six-figure contract with ONE Championship. The promotion's elite video production team will be following Franklin's journey across the region, chronicling the action to produce a series of compelling documentary videos.
Rich Franklin, Vice President of ONE Championship, stated: "Asia is the hotbed of the industry's top martial arts prospects. It comes as no surprise, since martial arts has been home to the region for the past 5,000 years. Throughout my time in ONE Championship, I have been witness to some of the best martial arts talent I have ever seen. Stars today such as Angela Lee and Eduard Folayang came from the grassroots level of talent in Asia, and the next martial arts superstar is just waiting to be discovered. Follow me on this journey to showcase Asia's greatest cultural treasure, and join me on the hunt to find ONE Championship's new wave of superstars."
Rich Franklin's ONE Warrior Series is a new documentary feature which will run in 30-minute episodes. Since the establishment of ONE Championship in 2011, various martial arts athletes have shot into superstardom in Asia, names such as "Unstoppable" Angela Lee of Singapore, Eduard "Landslide" Folayang of the Philippines, and "The Burmese Python" Aung La N Sang of Myanmar. Rich Franklin's ONE Warrior Series aims at discovering new talent, providing promising young athletes with the platform to unleash their martial arts greatness.
The screening and tryouts process will consist of pad sessions, grappling demonstrations, conditioning exams, and an interview process, among others. Once selected, athletes will compete in trial exhibition bouts with a chance at earning a six-figure contract with ONE Championship based on performance. The first episode of Rich Franklin's ONE Warrior Series is scheduled for release in the first quarter of 2018.
