Report: Pacquiao throws hat into MMA promotion

MANILA, Philippines – Manny Pacquiao has been spreading himself too thin in the world of sports and politics.

The Filipino boxing icon, while still an active fighter, is also now involved in professional basketball as head coach of expansion team Kia Motors in the PBA. He recently bared plans to apply in the PBA Draft this month, which will possibly make him a playing coach in the league.

This is on top of being incumbent congressman of Sarangani province, a likely stepping stone for Pacquiao as he reportedly seeks a Senate seat in the 2016 polls.

Count mixed martial arts promotion in his roster of commitments.

According a report by Yahoo! Sports, Pacquiao has acquired a stake in the Asian MMA outfit One Fighting Championship (One FC), one of the major MMA promotional firms in the region.

Yahoo! Sports’ Kevin Iole reported the development, getting confirmation from One FC CEO Victor Cui, who expressed delight on Pacquiao’s involvement with his company.

"I'm pretty pumped. There are a ton of reasons why I'm pretty excited about this. Obviously, Manny Pacquiao is a global sports icon and having him as a part of our organization as a shareholder and promoting One FC and promoting the sport is huge for the sport in the region. It promotes awareness and growth," Cui said.

One FC frequently holds fight cards in Manila, boasting local MMA stars such as Eduard Folayang, Kevin Belingon, and most recently Ana “The Hurricane” Julaton, a former Filipino-American boxer.

Cui said Pacquiao has acknowledged the rise of MMA in the region, leading the boxing star to purchase a stake in ONE FC.

"There are a lot of common fans and common ties with MMA and boxing [in the Philippines] and MMA awareness is much stronger than it is in other parts of Asia. Manny has been looking for some opportunities outside of boxing, and he and his team have kept an eye on the sport of MMA. It made a lot of sense to him,” the ONE FC chief explained.

"He knows we have a 90 percent market share [in Asia] and how strong our brand is in Asia. He (Pacquiao) knows the global reach of our organization and there was a comfort level there," he added.

Pacquiao is set to face Chris Algieri in Macau on Nov. 23, part of his busy schedule for the year.