Asia’s ONE Championship has been working to expand into markets beyond fighting, having launched an eSports venture last year. Their latest effort, however, is a little different: getting into the Reality TV business, mixing The Apprentice brand made famous by Donald Trump and Arnold Schwarzenegger with the ONE Championship name.
On Wednesday, the promotion announced via press release that some famous figures from the MMA world would appear on the show. That includes former ONE/Bellator champ Ben Askren, UFC alum and BJJ ace Renzo Gracie, and UFC legend Georges St. Pierre.
“It is my absolute honor to announce that mixed martial arts legend Georges St-Pierre, master Renzo Gracie, and former ONE Welterweight World Champion Ben Askren will join me in guiding 16 young entrepreneurs who will compete in the boardroom to become ‘The Apprentice’ and work by my side at ONE Championship,” said ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong in Wednesday’s press release.
For his part, Canada’s GSP expressed his excitement, saying it was “an honor for me to guest star alongside [Chatri] on the show and learn everything that I can. I hope to share my insight and knowledge in business, as well as how it is to be an elite athlete, with the contestants and help them become successful.”
The show is expected to air in early 2021. The winner of The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition will earn a US$250,000 job offer to work “directly under Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong for a year as his protege in Singapore.”
BREAKING NEWS: Please join me in welcoming my good friends, Georges St-Pierre, Renzo Gracie, and Ben Askren, to the cast of The Apprentice! They will join me, Demetrious Johnson, Angela Lee, Brandon Vera, Sage Northcutt, Jingnan Xiong, and Ritu Phogat! pic.twitter.com/lJ0jTKVf3O
— Chatri Sityodtong (@yodchatri) October 28, 2020
