It might seem like an unlikely pairing: a massive martial arts group and a nonprofit geared at eliminating global poverty. But this combination could make a huge difference for individuals living in poverty. 

This week, Global Citizen announced a new partnership with ONE Championship, a global sports media organization based out of Singapore, which is expected to reach a broadcast audience of as much as 1.7 billion people. 

“We are thrilled to be joining forces with ONE Championship to bring Global Citizen to Asia. ONE Championship reaches millions of young people around the region and together we will engage them on issues that impact the entire world,” Wei Soo, co-founder of Global Citizen, said in a statement. “Since we launched Global Citizen in 2012, over 13 million actions have been taken, and we are excited to drive more actions and increase our impact for the world’s most marginalized people through this partnership.” 

Take Action: Call on Countries in the Asia-Pacific Region to Answer the Call to #FundEducation

Soo added that the shared values between Global Citizen and ONE Championship are numerous, and include integrity, humility, honor, respect, courage, and discipline. 

"This is the Asian Century," Soo said, "and the time has come for Asian millennials to draw on their hopes, dreams, inspiration and strength to forge an inclusive and sustainable way for us all to live in harmony with each other."

The challenges are great, but by bringing together public policy and popular culture, both organizations hope to leverage their influence to create lasting change for the world's poor.   

According to the World Bank, nearly half of all the world’s extreme poor currently reside in South and East Asia. 

While the challenge of decreasing poverty in this regions are great, so too is its potential for growth. In East Asia, for example, the number of people living in extreme poverty was cut from more than 60% in 1990 to just under 3.5% in 2013, Vox reports. 

Approximately one-third of the world’s poor live in South Asia, which still faces myriad development challenges, including a lack of access to education, clean water and sanitation, and health care. 

These same challenges are not unfamiliar to some of the most popular ONE athletes, like Bibiano Fernandes and Eduard Folayang, who both grew up in poverty. 

“Our ONE Championship athletes embody the spirit of perseverance and many have risen through poverty through martial arts, inspiring millions of people around the world with their journey,” Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, said. 

Read More: 10 Barriers to Education Around the World

Through Global Citizen and ONE Championship, Global Citizens can take action to call on government donors from the South East Asia and Pacific region to fund global education. 

Going forward, Global Citizen and ONE will continue to inspire people from around the world to take action on various issues, including food security, hunger and nutrition, global health, gender equality and empowerment. 

Together, both organizations are committed to tackle poverty, one bout at a time.