After a year of explosive heavyweight action, RUF Nation will cap off its greatest tournament to date with a thrilling finale on Saturday, May 14th.
That evening, the promotion will hold RUF 47 featuring the Road To ONE: Heavyweight Tournament Finals at the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona, and the winner will receive a six-figure contract to compete in ONE Championship.
Just reaching this point has been a huge milestone for all parties involved.
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For MMA organizations in the United States and all across the globe, it was immensely difficult to hold live shows during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
There were tight restrictions in every country, fans weren’t necessarily comfortable being in public settings, and many promotions had trouble staying afloat.
RUF Nation, however, continued to move forward in the face of adversity, and ONE Championship felt confident in the Phoenix-based organization’s ability to hold a tournament – the Road To ONE: Heavyweight Tournament – during that extraordinary time period.
“We designed this tournament on the back end of the initial quarantine process,” said Rich Franklin, ONE Championship Vice President and former three-time MMA World Champion.
“Events were still getting canceled, being rescheduled, athletes were getting sick, and people were still afraid to come to an event. This required someone willing to take risks and move decisively, and their team conquered every obstacle placed in their way.”
While most promotions were slowly testing the waters and trying to figure out ways to hold shows, RUF Nation plowed forward without a second thought.
The organization recruited some of the best heavyweight fighters in the American southwest to participate in the tournament, while also providing both professional and amateur mixed martial artists with a platform to gain much-needed competition experience to enhance their careers.
Following the tournament’s kickoff show in March 2021, RUF Nation staged another six events before the end of the year and helped revitalize the region’s MMA scene.
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Ultimately, it all led to the Road To ONE: Heavyweight Tournament Finals, which pits Tra’von “Wildman” Butler against Terrance “T-Bone” Jean-Jacques.
As the Arizona promotion gears up for its most memorable night yet, Franklin has nothing but gratitude for the company.
“RUF Nation cares about their athletes, and they are the type of organization I would do a handshake agreement with,” the MMA legend said. “It is rare to find these type of people in today’s business world.”
To watch RUF 47 live at the Celebrity Theatre, purchase a ticket at Etix.com. The show can also be streamed live on pay-per-view at RUFnation.com.