One Championship: Truly Different?

[JayPettryMMA]

BY PATRICK AUGER
JUL 18, 2019

On July 12, One Championship founder and CEO Chatri Sityodtong was interviewed by The Daily about the MMA promotion’s upcoming plans for expansion inside the United States. The topics discussed included One’s broadcast media rights deal with Turner Sports, when the organization will host an event on U.S. soil, and how the company differentiates itself from the Ultimate Fighting Championship. But what is driven home in every answer given by Sityodtong during the interview is a clear message -- One Championship is what real martial arts is all about.

“We do believe that our formula is 180 degrees opposite from anything that exists in the U.S. market in terms of combat sports … One Championship builds heroes, much like the Olympics,” Sityodtong said. “We want the best athletes in the world, but we also want heroes outside of the cage. We are looking to tell their stories of triumph over adversity to inspire the world … Everything is done in an honorable and respectable way that has human dignity.”

That’s certainly a different vision than the one held by the UFC. Though the bouts themselves are sport, the UFC often rewards exciting, charismatic fighters who trash talk over those who fail to put on a show. Questionable matchmaking is generally justified by UFC President Dana White as “what the fans want to see” regardless of how lucrative it is for the promotion, or else it is justified with reference to a ranking system that has its fair shares of flaws. The UFC isn’t shy when it comes to putting entertainment value above merit, and the only heroes in their book are the ones who bring in a million-plus pay-per-view buys.

On the surface, One Championship certainly appears to be the antithesis of the “entertainment” style of MMA. Representing what Sityodtong calls “authentic martial arts,” One has been making a push with the Global Association of Mixed Martial Arts to get MMA into the Olympics. One athletes are said to be taken care of by the company, with lightweight legend Eddie Alvarez reporting that he was treated better by One after he lost than when he held the title in the UFC. In the “About Us” section of One Championship’s website, the first thing at the top of the page are the words “Integrity, humility, honor, respect, courage, discipline, compassion” in big, bold letters.


Read more at https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/One-Championship-Truly-Different-158575#RLrDLIYQPu0rlE4C.99

 

[Ultra O’Dia]

Awesome. How it used to be before Red Goof took over.

 

[JohnMandick]

It's a for-profit business like any other.

 

[JohnMandick]

And also easy up on the Olympics... Olympic-style drug testing would decimate the ONE roster.

 

[Charance]

Like Ultra, I'm super excited to see how this goes. Hmmmm

 

[hillelslovak87]

“We do believe that our formula is 180 degrees opposite from anything that exists in the U.S. market in terms of combat sports … One Championship builds heroes, much like the Olympics,” Sityodtong said. “We want the best athletes in the world, but we also want heroes outside of the cage. We are looking to tell their stories of triumph over adversity to inspire the world … Everything is done in an honorable and respectable way that has human dignity.”

Now that sounds awesome, much better than Dana's mantra of "Money? Anyone got some money? Just a little money, baby!!"

If they can pull through on it, though, who knows. PrideFC might as well have been called RoidFC, and roids aren't very Bushido.

 

[Ossed]

One is fakery as its most extreme. Its a PR strategy of ‘if you say the same lie over and over again people will eventually take it as fact and start repeating it’. Everything they do is manufactured for their own gain. Fake fans, fake press conferences, fake referees, fake audience numbers. Chatri is starting to get busted for lying. Look at The Body Lock website recently - he was caught red-handed lying about drug testing. WADA had nothing to do with them. In short, love the fights, hate all the other crap that Chatri rams down our throats. Bring back Victor Cui.

 

[johnnyknuckles7]

My best guess is a US Fox TV deal. I just think Fox isn't going to walk entirely away from MMA after years of investment

 

[SHAOLINMONK420]

before one fc i think mma was illegal in thailand. sounds crazy to think of now

 

[vladimirvlad]

I think ONE FC might overtake UFC in the years to come, they invest a lot of money

 

[MrRobinson1]

You think in ufc spin few money?)

 

[Diesel67]

They were truly different when One allowed soccer kicks.
GOOD FOOT

 

[1moretime!]

ONE Championship is different? Sure, like not living up to its hype? Ok, I would agree to that. ONE FC adopt soft propaganda they been practicing

ONE FC fake claims fighter pay annual salaries

ONE FC Chtri, Sit CEO -WEIRDO No good always looking for trouble with UFC!

 

[1moretime!]

Chatri is a dumb-ass so yes ONE FC still spinin

 

[1moretime!]

Chatri, Sit what a weirdo always looking for trouble with Dana and UFC. Sometimes with anyone. Dudes just weird he's a weirdo and he doesn't look smart at all! He sound stupid everytime he talks... And fucking Asian mate as if it couldn't get any worse.....?

 

[1moretime!]

Its just matter of time .....10 years THE UFC will own ONE FC and it's entirety...

 

[You Will Vote For Dreyga]

Ultimately, the company that prioritizes making money and increasing their fan base will win in the end in this case the UFC. When it comes to the expansion of coprate entities ideals are a major weakness

 

[SHAOLINMONK420]

one championship has superior rules

 

[IanPullman]

I'm excited to see how it will end

 

[Gordonk]

Me too... that must be something different