SINGAPORE - 8 June 2018 - The China sports market is experiencing a phenomenal growth in recent years. According to a Forbes report on 17 Jan 2018, the Chinese National Bureau of Statistics' official data on the growth of China's sport's industry for 2016, published on 13 Jan 2018, showed a total output of 1.9 trillion yuan ($295 billion), and an 11.1% growth that outpaced the recovering national economy.

 

The data, later delivered at the National Sports Industry Conference, demonstrated that the number of organisations participating in the industry grew by 21.7% from 2015 to 2016 alone, and by 2016 more than 4.4 million people were working in the domestic sports industry.

 

Since 2015, REBEL Fighting Championship (REBEL FC), with its headquarters in Singapore, has hosted several successful shows in Singapore. Due to REBEL FC's success in Singapore, we have expanded and begun operating in the more lucrative China sports market. REBEL FC hosts all its events with MMA stars from around the world with the goal of bringing martial arts back to its birthplace -- China.

 

By bringing the biggest fights to China, REBEL FC provides a platform for Chinese MMA fighters to shine on the global MMA stage by pitting them against the best international fighters.

 

Due to the fact that Mixed Martial Arts ("MMA") industry's leading promotional company, Ultimate Fighting Championship ("UFC"), operates nearly exclusively in the United States and was sold for USD $4 billion in July 2016, the potential market for MMA in China is enormous. It is one of the biggest amounts ever paid for a sports organisation or sports franchise in sporting history.

 

In a report by Forbes on 16 April 2018, MMA is said to have 260 million fans worldwide. It has attracted large broadcast and pay-per-view audiences as well as big name sponsors such as Reebok, Harley Davidson, Monster Energy, Everlast and EA Sports.

 

With over triple the audience size in China, long-term exposure in the country, along with market differentiation, REBEL FC aims to be the first MMA and sports property from Asia to be listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market and to realize REBEL FC's long-term strategy of developing the full potential of MMA in China and promote the sport as a lifestyle that mainstream audiences can embrace.

 

To emphasize REBEL FC's intent to expand in China, the organization is hosting an event on 11 August 2018 at Beijing's National Olympic Stadium. Titled REBEL FC 9 -- Battle for the Kingdom, it showcases the best MMA fighters China has to offer -- Liu Wenbo, Wang Sai, Ning Guangyou and Wang Yayong -- against the most seasoned international superstars who have competed at the very top of global MMA -- UFC veterans Antonio 'Bigfoot' Silva (UFC heavyweight contender) of Brazil and Takeya Mizugaki (UFC Bantamweight contender and No.1 ranked Bantamweight in Asia) of Japan, Brazil's REBEL FC Welterweight (77kg) champion Adriano 'The Rock' Balby and Japan's REBEL FC Bantamweight (61kg) champion Shuhei Sakano, who defeated the No.1 ranked Bantamweight in China, Ayideng Jumayi in REBEL FC 7 -- Fight for Honour.  

 

It is with the aforementioned promise of the MMA industry in China, as well as REBEL FC's vision to develop and grow MMA in China and bring the sport into the mainstream, that the organization is in the process of facilitating its uplisting from the OTC markets to the Nasdaq Capital Market, underlining its focused approach to the Chinese market, and in the time to come, the global stage. (MO/*).