Cross-Promotion Events That Could Bring MMA To New Level

Part of what makes the world of mixed martial arts (MMA) so intriguing for the fans is the endless possibilities within the industry.

Thousands of athletes from around the globe competing in the same sport with similar goals in mind is a recipe for excitement. As a result, there’s never a shortage of fun ideas.

One of those ideas is the concept of a full promotion-versus-promotion mega event.

While the options are plentiful, here are just a few examples of cross-promotion ideas that fans want to see in the future.

UFC vs. ONE Championship

The King of the West versus the King of the East. These two organizations stand out not only due to their talent-laden rosters, but because they both wield auxiliary branches to their respective businesses, making them true titans of the fight industry.

With ONE Championship dominating the Asian market, the time to take on the UFC is now.

Of course, with the UFC’s high popularity in the Americas, the sheer magnitude of this event would be off the proverbial charts.

Methods for marketing the event are numerous as well. The promotions could do a full world champion-versus-world champion card. Regardless, a UFC-versus-ONE Championship affair would shake up the MMA world like nothing before.

Bellator vs. Rizin Fighting Federation

Well, they’ve done it before. Back in 2018, Bellator sent bantamweight mainstay Darrion Caldwell to Japan to take on Kyoji Horiguchi in the co-main event of Rizin’s New Year’s Eve mega event

Caldwell and Horiguchi went two hard rounds before the latter secured a submission victory 91-seconds into the third and final stanza.

Additionally, Bellator and Rizin co-produced a card one year later at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan with a bout between Fedor Emelianenko and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson as the top-billing.

Setting up a third cross-promotion event is always a possibility.

Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki (KSW) vs. Absolute Championship Akhmat (ACB)

Poland’s most dominant MMA promotion versus Russia’s most dominant MMA promotion. Need we say more?

KSW has long been the launching pad for European MMA stars—with a focus on Poland—like reigning UFC 205-pound champion Jan Błachowicz, Roberto Soldić and Mamed Khalidov, among many others.

Meanwhile, some 1,500 miles away in Grozny, Russia, ACB has quickly become the premier feeder league to larger organizations like the UFC, ONE, and Bellator.

The promotions’ seemingly endless supply of local talent continues to rise with every show, picking off athletes primarily from Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Pitting KSW’s athletes in a cage or ring opposite ACB’s athletes would make for an excellent battle between two talent-rich organizations.

Pancrase vs. Road Fighting Championship

Japan and South Korea have long had a respectful rivalry between them when it comes to athletics.

With Pancrase and Road FC cemented as the premier regional MMA organizations in Japan and South Korea respectively, the cross-promotion route makes a ton of sense.

The potential for these two promotions to do a full nation-versus-nation event is an exciting prospect that would successfully promote both regions to a larger audience.

Additionally, it would help to identify which athletes are ready to take the next step into a major, international organization and open the gates for a potential pay-per-view setting.

Pancrase vs. Road FC seems like a win for everyone involved, including the fans.

Cage Warriors vs. AMC Fight Nights Global

Cage Warriors has long been the hub of western European MMA, creating superstars like Michael Bisping, Dan Hardy, Jack Hermansson and even Conor McGregor, among many others.

Fight Nights Global, meanwhile, has an impressive list of alumni as well, including the likes of Vitaly Minakov, Serghei Pavlovich and Fedor Emelianenko, to name a few.

Just imagine, the greatest United Kingdom-based MMA organization versus one of Russia’s most critically-acclaimed MMA organizations.