“I understand deeply because I’ve walked their road” - Chatri Sityodtong shares what sets ONE Championship apart

ONE Championship has grown faster than any martial arts organization in terms of viewership numbers in a span of 10 years, and ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong believes it’s because it is built differently.

Sityodtong is a lifelong martial artist with over 30 years of experience in Muay Thai and has been a jiu-jitsu practitioner for over a decade.

During a guest appearance on the MMA Hoje channel, he said that his presence in the community, as well as other ONE leaders, is an essential part of why ONE Championship is as big as it is today.

"ONE is created by martial artists, led by martial artists, for martial artists. This is a very powerful point because I have a lot of empathy and a lot of love for all my athletes. That’s why literally 95% of the athletes, we go train together, you know, I was just training with 'Buchecha', he was teaching me a lot of stuff. I think that makes a big difference because of how athletes feel in our organization versus other organizations. They can feel the authenticity, they can feel the love that we have for martial arts. I think that it helps for better performances, but it’s just a sense of belonging.”

The ONE Chairman said that he’s been a martial artist a lot longer than he has been a businessman, which helps him lead the company in a way that’s focused more on athletes and martial arts rather than revenue.

“Like I said, we are ‘The Home of Martial Arts’ and that’s why I give those speeches before the fights to our athletes. It’s never threats, it’s never about just the money or whatever, it’s going out there and unleashing greatness and remembering that you are martial artists and remembering the journey of heartbreak and triumph and overcoming odds and remembering the sacrifices to go missing birthday parties and everything that goes on with being a world champion martial artist."

Sityodtong added:

"I understand deeply because I’ve walked their road, maybe not as a world champion, but as a lifelong martial artist. So I truly understand our athletes at a very deep level and I’m always trying my best to elevate and inspire them to greatness.”

Catch the full interview below:

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ONE Championship continues its celebration of martial arts at ONE 157

On May 20, ONE Championship will once again showcase various disciplines of martial arts at ONE 157: Petchmorakot vs. Vienot, which will be broadcast live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

World champions, superstars, and emerging talents in Muay Thai, kickboxing, MMA, and submission grappling will all be featured in the event.

Highlights of ONE 157 include two world title bouts, the quarterfinals of the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Grand Prix and the debut of Brazilian jiu-jitsu prodigies, among a host of other exciting matchups.

Once again, ONE is set to host an event that fans around the globe won't want to miss.