16-fighter tournament; runner-up takes 100 million won
KO, submission, popularity awards also on offer
Global cultural platform Showplus X will host an international fighting competition with a total purse of 500 million won ($374,000).
Showplus X said Monday that Season 1 of the Showplus X Fighting Championship, or SFC, organized by Showplus X Korea, will run from December through January next year.
Sixteen fighters from South Korea, the United States, Japan and other countries will compete in a tournament-style bracket. The full roster, matchups and detailed schedule will be announced at a later date.
Of the 500 million won purse, the champion will receive 300 million won and the runner-up 100 million won. The remaining 100 million won will be distributed among winners of seven special awards determined by fan participation. The prize structure is considered unusually generous for a domestic fighting event.
The seven special awards cover best striker, hardest punch, best kicker, most knockouts, best submission, fighting spirit and popularity. Fans can support their favorite fighters and vote in each category using "Candy," the platform's in-app support currency.
Each fighter will also have a dedicated creator team. Creators can join any fighter's team without a separate approval process or membership cap, producing content on training sessions and behind-the-scenes stories. Sponsorship proceeds collected for each fighter will be shared among the fighter, their creators and fans.
"In fighting, the ring decides who wins — but fans can decide who was the most impressive," Showplus X said. "We will expand the creator- and fandom-driven participation model we built in music competitions into combat sports."
Showplus X, which acquired the domestic secondhand trading platform Hello Market and rebranded it as Showplus X Korea, plans to use the platform to broaden its business into culture and live performance.
yjc@heraldcorp.com
