REBEL Fighting Championship Returns to Shanghai For REBEL FC 9 Return of the Champion
REBEL Fighting Championship (“REBEL FC”), Singapore’s leading mixed martial arts (MMA) entertainment company, will be returning to Shanghai on September 7th for REBEL FC 9 Return of the Champion, the ninth edition of its international MMA tournament. The event will be headlined by one world-class bout and two title fights with fighters from China and around the world including Russia, Japan, the Philippines, Brazil, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and the United States.
REBEL FC 9 will take place at Hongkou Indoor Stadium. REBEL FC has taken the lion’s share of the China MMA market in TV broadcasting viewership, with between four and seven times the number of viewers compared to other leading global MMA organisations, as of the latest data available. REBEL FC’s live broadcast viewership numbers, which doubled between 2017 and 2018, is expected to set new records this year as the brand’s popularity and recognition continues to grow in China.
Justin Leong, CEO of REBEL FC, said: “We are very proud of our progress in building REBEL FC into a truly global MMA brand, made possible by the years of support from our fighters and loyal fans from around the world. Our goal is to become the world’s leading MMA tournament, with China as a key market where we estimate there are 300 million martial arts fans and 30 million MMA fans.
“Our viewership numbers in China are a testament to the power of the REBEL FC brand in this huge market – we have a dominant foothold in the country and intend to grow it rapidly over the next five years as part of our global strategy. We wish all the fighters competing in REBEL FC 9 the best of luck, and hope our fans continue to support us in our mission to build the sport in China and around the world,” he added.
REBEL FC 9 Return of the Champion will be broadcast live online via IQiyi, Youku, and PP Sports, YY.com, Panda TV, Douyu, Huya, Longzhu, QiE, Baofeng Sports, Fighting World, Sina Sports, and Black Bear APP. Major TV stations airing the fight live will include Qinghai Satellite, GDTV Sports, Tianjin Sports, Beijing Sports, Great Sports, and Shenzhen Sports. REBEL FC’s previous tournament in China, REBEL FC 8 which aired on 30th May 2018, drew a live broadcast TV and digital viewership of over 13 million. REBEL FC 9 is expected to build on that success with major sponsors including Intel NUC, ORIGO Coffee, and Wicked Bunny.
