Predator Philippines and its new partner ONE Championship hope to bring together what can be considered at first glance as an unusual combination: gaming and mixed martial arts (MMA). But as ONE Heavyweight World Champion Brandon “The Truth” Vera says there are a lot of gamers in the MMA scene. He calls himself one, although admittedly he says he plays more on the console. But the new partnership between Predator and ONE Championship might change that.
“Gaming is so much more than cool graphics and great sound effects—it’s about every gamer transforming into their characters and conquering new worlds in any galaxy and in any battle,” says Ray Gozon, Predator Philippines senior marketing manager. “Serious gamers have intense skill, focus, and fury if they are to destroy their enemies. This is why ONE Championship is the perfect partner for us—ONE Championship fights and fighters embody the intensity that our gamers experience on Predator machines.”
Together the two brands will be bringing the action to the ring this April 21 as Predator is an official partner of ONE: KINGS OF DESTINY happening in SM Mall of Asia Arena at 7 p.m. The brand is sponsoring one of the main card fights of the day, which is right before the title fight of Folayang and Ting for the ONE Lightweight World Championship. To sweeten the deal, the winner of that main card fight will be taking home the P549,999 Predator 21 X.
Predator also teases that they will be introducing a new brand ambassador at the event.
“On the outside, MMA is extremely physical, but it is as much a mental game as it is a physical sport. The level of professionalism that goes into fighting in the ring and gaming in a new world is often understated. A lot of strategy comes into play, and you see these fighters go into beast mode as soon as they step into the ring. This is how gamers are—they may be everyday Juans on the streets, but as soon as they sit behind that screen, they unleash their inner fighters and immerse themselves into these worlds they enter. So what do we do? We give them the ultimate weapon, and that is the Predator,” Gozon concludes.
