Metro Denver EDC report highlights economic impact of ONE 168 at Ball Arena

ONE Championship’s second visit to Colorado was a major success for both the promotion as well as the city of Denver.

ONE Championship's Second United States Event

Following a United States debut at the 1stBank Center in Broomfield in 2023 with ONE Fight Night 10, ONE Championship returned to Colorado last September with ONE 168, which was headlined by a bantamweight Muay Thai title bout that saw Superlek claim the belt with a 49-second knockout of Jonathan Haggerty.

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The main event capped off a nine-fight card of MMA and 4 oz. Muay Thai action for the fans in Denver. According to an economic impact report from the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation (EDC) that ONE Championship has shared with MMA Knockout, ONE 168 was a major financial success for the greater Denver region.

Superlek and Jonathan Haggerty met in the main event of ONE 168. | (ONE Championship)

“This event successfully attracted a substantial number of out-of-state visitors, significantly boosting Colorado’s economy and supporting local jobs through $15 million new dollars to the state. This underscores the importance of the region’s thriving arts, culture, and entertainment industry, which provides unmatched talent and incredible economic growth for Colorado.” – Hanna Scovill, Economist and Senior Manager of Economic Competitiveness for the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce and Metro Denver EDC.

Highlights From Metro Denver EDC Economic Report

Colorado and Denver’s Ball Arena (home of the Colorado Avalanche, Denver Nuggets, and Colorado Mammonth) are certainly no strangers to holding major sporting events. The economic report from ONE 168 notes that the event had a major impact on the local economy, largely thanks to how many fans traveled to Colorado from out of state.

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Adrian Lee fights Nico Cornejo at ONE 168. | (ONE Championship)

• More than half of the near-capacity crowd traveled from out-of-state to attend ONE 168, generating of $15 million in economic impact.

• Direct spending activity generated by ONE 168 exceeded $9 million, encompassing transportation, lodging, food and beverage, and leisure expenses. Over 50% of fans traveled in from out of state, contributing $7.5 million.

• Out-of-state attendees traveled with an average of two additional people and stayed in Denver for an average of three nights.

• Nearly 6,590 room nights were attributed to the event, accounting for group size and average length of stay. Direct impact from this spending totaled $1.4 million, supporting local hotels and short-term rentals.

• $6.3 million in labor income was generated for Colorado residents, with 146 jobs supported.

“It’s incredible to see the economic impact of ONE 168 on Metro Denver. The success of this event reflects how powerful a role our arts, culture, and entertainment industries plays in our economic prosperity. When we are able to attract so many visitors for a unique event like ONE Championship, businesses of all industries benefit from the influx of travelers and spending that fuels our communities.” – Raymond H Gonzales, Executive Vice President for the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce and President for the Metro Denver EDC.

Return To The U.S. For ONE Championship In 2025

ONE Championship was set to host another event in the U.S last year before ONE 169 was moved from Atlanta, GA to Bangkok, Thailand, but the promotion plans to return to the U.S. later this year following the success of its second trip to Colorado.

John Lineker walks out for his fight with Asa Ten Pow at ONE 168. | (ONE Championship)

“We are incredibly proud to have generated $18 million in economic impact for the greater Denver region during ONE 168 this past September, as well as $108 million in media value from our global broadcast and digital stream for our partners,” ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong said. “ONE Championship has some of the most passionate fans in the world, and we would like to thank them for traveling in, along with all our fans in Colorado for attending and making the event such a memorable night. We would also like to thank our local partners Kroenke Sports & Entertainment and the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce for their support in making the event such a huge success. We look forward to creating more unforgettable memories and having a similar impact on the local economies in our continued U.S. expansion.”

Superlek celebrates after winning the ONE 168 main event. | (ONE Championship)

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Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand will host ONE Fight Night 28 this Friday, and ONE Championship already has big trips to Qatar (ONE 171) and Japan (ONE 172) coming up on the calendar before the promotion announces plans for a return to the U.S in the latter part of 2025.

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