MMA News

Tag: Chatri Sityodtong

  • ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong Apologizes To Fighter He Accused of ‘Taking The Easy Way Out’

    Chatri Sityodtong, the leader of ONE Championship, has faced accusations of disrespectful bullying following Sunday’s ONE 172 event.

    The controversy arose from his public criticism of Japanese Shoot Boxing Champion Kaito Ono, who declined a catchweight bout against Marat Grigorian after the Armenian-Belgian failed to make weight. This incident has strained relations between ONE Championship and Shoot Boxing.

    At the post-fight press conference for ONE 172, Sityodtong launched a verbal attack on Ono, accusing him of being “scared” and lacking integrity for refusing the fight. His public shaming of Ono, who was participating in a cross-promotion match, has been widely condemned as unprofessional.

    Shoot Boxing, which has a history of successful cross-promotion events with organizations like RISE, K-1, and Glory, entered into an agreement with ONE Championship in good faith. However, Sityodtong’s actions have appeared to jeopardize this relationship. The organization has now formally demanded an apology, citing his unacceptable and disrespectful treatment of Kaito Ono.

    The public nature of the ONE chief’s remarks has drawn significant attention, with many criticizing his leadership and behavior. In response, Chatri Sityodtong has since retracted his comments.

    ONE’s chairman and CEO issued the following statement:

    “Like all the fans and officials, I was looking forward to the bout between Marat Grigorian and Kaito. Grigorian passed the hydration test after the time limit, which put him 350 grams overweight. At this point, Grigorian was penalized by having 20% of his fight purse forfeited and given to Kaito.

    “When a fighter is less than one pound overweight, the standard response in the world’s major mixed martial arts organizations is to negotiate a bout at a catchweight.

    “Naturally, I was disappointed when Kaito declined the bout. However, as the CEO of ONE Championship, it was inappropriate for me to express such feelings in a press conference.

    “I sincerely apologize and formally retract my comments regarding Kaito’s lack of courage. Kaito is a highly respected champion in Japan.”

  • ONE CEO Disagrees With How White Does Business, Open To A Fight

    Chatri Sityodtong doesn’t agree with how Dana White runs the UFC.

    Sityodtong, the CEO of ONE Championship, is all about martial arts and respect, and he doesn’t like when his fighters talk trash. White and the UFC, however, embrace trash-talking because it helps sell pay-per-views. That is one of the things Sityodtong doesn’t like about how the UFC is run.

    “I think he is an outstanding businessman,” Sityodtong said on The MMA Hour. “I don’t necessarily agree with the way he does things, but obviously he’s built UFC into a phenomenal company. There’s no ifs, ands, or buts. But I don’t think he knows anything about martial arts. I don’t think he knows anything about fighting. I think he’s a fan, so I have differences. I come from the martial arts community. I come from the martial arts background. And how I treat my athletes, they are my peers. I come from the community. It’s very, very different.

    “I think if you’ve never been punched in the face or choked out, you can disrespect people publicly [with your comments],” Sityodtong continued. “But if you have had lifelong hard training — I just say we have stylistic differences. I don’t particularly respect the way he talks down to athletes.”

    Chatri Sityodtong (Image Credit: Paul Miller/Bloomberg)

    With Chatri Sityodtong disagreeing with how Dana White runs the UFC and him claiming White doesn’t know martial arts, he says he is open to a fight with him. They are both over 50-years-old, but Sityodtong is confident he would beat the American with ease.

    “I’m a lifelong martial artist,” Sityodtong said about a fight with White. “I’ve been doing Muay Thai for 35 years and I’m a jiu-jitsu brown belt. I train five, six times a week. If there’s a fight with someone my age, why not? I’m 50, turning 51 this year. I train five, six days a week, one or two hours every day.”

    Although Sityodtong is open to a fight against White, it is highly unlikely the bout happens. White is just focused on running the UFC, and he doesn’t gain anything by fighting the ONE CEO. Nevertheless, Sityodtong’s remarks are sure to get more people talking about him and his promotion.

    What do you make of Chatri Sityodtong calling out Dana White for a fight?