One Championship is planning to double its roster of fighters and stage around 80 shows in 2020 One CEO Chatri Sityodtong wants his fights available ‘everywhere and anywhere at all times’ Four shows per year in each core Asian market but company sees chance to plant a flag in the US Associated PressAssociated Press South China Morning Post One Championship plans to stage about 80 martial arts shows in 2020, and the MMA promotion will roughly double its roster of fighters to do it. One CEO Chatri Sityodtong revealed his latest plans for ambitious expansion on Wednesday. The promotion is putting on 45 events this year in Asia, but will sharply increase its schedule next year. One also will continue to keep its fights freely available to much of the world in response to what Sityodtong describes as a global desire from its broadcasters for more fighting content. The Singapore-based organisation will still focus on its core Asian markets, but Sityodtong also is in discussions with broadcast partner Turner Sports to stage its first US show next year. “Definitely a very tough task, but I think it’s very doable, knock on wood,” Sityodtong said of his expansion plans. “We’re on this rocket ship, and I’ve just got to hold on.” By comparison, the UFC has 43 events currently on its 2019 schedule. One’s expansion comes while the UFC is making a push into Asia, including the opening of a US$13 million performance institute in Shanghai to develop Chinese athletes. Continue on https://amp.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3015333/one-championship-planning-double-its-roster

Making a splash: new big-money competition shakes up swimming Gender equality and zero tolerance on doping have attracted the world’s biggest names to the ISL – and left Fina scrambling Katie Purvis Things are changing in the world of elite swimming, and some would say not before time. Beginning in early October and culminating just before Christmas in Las Vegas, the first International Swimming League (ISL) season will take place across Europe and the USA. Some of the world’s best swimmers will compete for significant prize money with a first season budget of US$20m, funded by the ISL’s founder, Ukrainian billionaire and swimming fan Konstantin Grigorishin. $7m of that will go to athletes and teams in prize money. Grigorishin believes “the IOC [International Olympic Committee] and international federations … don’t respect athletes, they don’t consider them like partners”. He says the new league is about “putting power back into the hands of athletes … championing the right of professional swimmers to make [the] living they deserve, and to have a greater say in the way their sport is run”. Continue on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/jun/19/making-a-splash-new-big-money-competition-shakes-up-swimming?utm_term=RWRpdG9yaWFsX1RoZVJlY2FwLTE5MDYyMQ%3D%3D&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=TheRecap&CMP=recap_email

A Sarkozy lunch, PSG and beIN sports: questions for Platini over Qatar 2022 Why was Michel Platini detained by French investigators? What are they looking for? And could Qatar lose the 2022 World Cup? David Conn Michel Platini has said it was clear Nicolas Sarkozy wanted him to vote for Qatar to host the World Cup and the Qataris to take over PSG. Why has Michel Platini been questioned by French investigators? France’s Parquet National Financier, which investigates serious financial crime, has since 2017 been looking into possible French corruption in the vote that made Qatar the hosts for the 2022 World Cup. Platini was the Uefa president at the time and, as one of the 22 voting Fifa executive committee members in December 2010, he has acknowledged that he voted for Qatar. Continue on https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/jun/18/sarkozy-psg-bein-sports-questions-michel-platini-qatar-2022-world-cup?utm_term=RWRpdG9yaWFsX1RoZVJlY2FwLTE5MDYyMQ%3D%3D&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=TheRecap&CMP=recap_email