ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong says ONE X is just the beginning
Chatri Sityodtong, ONE Championship founder and CEO, believes that a decade in the world of mixed martial arts promotion is just the beginning, even if the nature of the sport is as highly volatile as it is.
ONE Championship practically threw everything into its, arguably, most stacked card in company history, as ONE X unfolds on March 26 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Five world title fights, a Grand Prix finale, and an interesting hybrid rules bout will feature in ONE Championship’s 10-year anniversary card. But the hardware isn’t the only attraction, as intense feuds and a legendary farewell are also in the books.
Chatri Sityodtong said in a recent interview:
“On ONE X, people will see the greatest martial artists in action and that is super exciting for me. You know there’s always gonna be naysayers, haters, and doubters, and you know they give me fuel actually. It just fuels my fire. I’m a very passionate person to begin with and when people say I can’t do something or they make up BS stories, that makes me hungrier. I will achieve my 100 percent. You’ll see this 10-year anniversary is just going to be the very beginning of the ONE story. The very beginning. Still Day One."
Angela Lee will defend her ONE women's atomweight world title against Grand Prix winner Stamp Fairtex in the main event of ONE X, while a flyweight freestyle fight between Demetrious Johnson, considered by many as the greatest mixed martial artist of all time, and Muay Thai superstar Rodtang Jitmuangnon will serve as the co-main event.
Adriano Moraes, who stunned the world when he knocked out 'Mighty Mouse' in April 2021, will look to defend his flyweight title for the second time when he goes up against Yuya Wakamatsu.
Chatri Sityodtong and his matchmakers, though, didn't just focus on MMA as they drew up fights for a slew of striking savants such as Superbon Singha Mawynn and Marat Grigorian duke it out for the featherweight kickboxing title while Nong-O Gaiyanghadao defends his bantamweight Muay Thai championship against Felipe Lobo.
Lastly, Capitan will try to retain his bantamweight kickboxing championship against Hiroki Akimoto.
While title fights bring the glitter, the highly anticipated bout between Japanese legends Shinya Aoki and Yoshihiro Akiyama brings grit as the two veterans vehemently expressed their hatred towards each other.
Striking icon John Wayne Parr will also have the final fight of his career as he takes on former ONE lightweight world champion and Philippine legend Eduard Folayang in a Muay Thai match.
Chatri Sityodtong: ‘We have the GOATs’
Chatri Sityodtong said that his promotion’s budding longevity is also a testament to its roster that not only has stars in MMA but also in various striking and grappling disciplines.
Johnson, who had 11 straight successful defenses of his flyweight title in the UFC, is considered to be the greatest MMA fighter of all time and has been with ONE Championship since 2018.
Giorgio Petrosyan, who has won multiple world titles across several promotions, is also under the ONE Championship banner, as well as grappling superstars Gordon Ryan and Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida who, between them, have 29 gold medals in grappling on the international level.
Chatri Sityodtong said:
“If you look at the roster of GOATs, you know we have the GOAT in MMA in Mighty Mouse Demetrious Johnson, we have the GOAT in kickboxing in Giorgio Petrosyan, we have the GOAT in submission grappling in Gordon Ryan, we have the GOAT in Jiu-Jitsu in Buchecha, and the list goes on and on. It just blows my mind that in 10 years we have the most incredible roster and again, I’m speaking as a lifelong martial artist and as someone who’s been doing Muay Thai for 35-plus years and a brown belt in Jiu-Jitsu, it’s just incredible.”