Manny Pacquiao news reveals the Filipino champ's MMA debut venture has been made official as he purchased an unrevealed number of shares in ONE Fighting Championship (ONE FC). Company CEO Victor Cui also expects "Pacman's" presence to help boost the mixed martial arts scene in Asia.
Speaking exclusively to Yahoo! Sports, Victor Cui revealed Manny Pacquiao news particularly on his MMA involvement through ONE FC.
"There are a lot of common fans and common ties with MMA and boxing [in the Philippines] and MMA awareness is much stronger than it is in other parts of Asia," Cui announced. "Manny has been looking for some opportunities outside of boxing, and he and his team have kept an eye on the sport of MMA. It made a lot of sense to him."
ONE FC has been holding several live events in the Philippines since 2012, bannering Filipino fighters such as Team Lakay's Eduard Folayang and Honorio Banario, Eric Kelly, and most recently, Filipino-American boxing champion Ana "The Hurricane" Julaton.
The promotion company is scheduled to hold another event in the country on December 5th.
Manny Pacquiao news reveal that his MMA involvement will be part of the long list of new ventures he has embarked for the last few years. In 2010, he was elected as a Congressman for Saranggani Province in Mindanao, and was re-elected in 2013.
Just a few weeks ago, he also signed up for the Philippine Basketball Association draft as a player for the Kia Motors expansion team.
But for Victor Cui, Manny Pacquiao's MMA venture with ONE FC could help boost awareness about the sport and the company throughout Asia.
"There are a ton of reasons why I'm pretty excited about this," Cui continued. "Obviously, Manny Pacquiao is a global sports icon and having him as a part of our organization as a shareholder and promoting One FC and promoting the sport is huge for the sport in the region. It promotes awareness and growth."
