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Chatri Sityodtong is the CEO of the Asia-based global MMA promotion, ONE Championships. He is known to the MMA world for his outspoken nature and highly ambitious recent ventures to popularize ONE across the entire globe. Sityodtong has always been speaking of ONE with high esteem. Recently, he also compared ONE Championship to the grandest MMA promotion in the world, the UFC.

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But Sityodtong didn’t hesitate, as he stated that ONE Championship was a lot better than the UFC in various respects. ‘The ONE Championship boss’ also mentioned that fighters in ONE are a lot more content and share a close relationship with the CEO, unlike the UFC.

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Chatri Sityodtong fired at the UFC boss Dana White

Sidyodtong has always been vocal about the happiness index of ONE fighters, which according to him, was better than UFC fighters. He also appeared at the ONE 164 post-event press conference, which was of this year’s final showdown by ONE.

The ONE Championship boss addressed the UFC president, Dana White stating, “Ask your athletes who’s happier? Which roster has a great relationship with their boss? I understand them.”

Sityodtong has trained in martial arts himself. Thus, he implied that being a martial artist facilitates a better understanding between him and his fighters.

READ MORE – Undefeated 2-Weight MMA Champ Gets “Wheeled Out” of Arena After Taking “Scary” Damage at ONE on Prime Video 5

The ONE boss mentioned, “On one side the other boss has never stepped in the ring or a martial arts school. I understand martial arts at the highest levels, I have empathy and compassion. I love our athletes, and all that comes out”.

Sidyodtong also brought up the 2021 figures published by Nielsen, which rated sports franchises in terms of their viewerships and fan engagement.

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In 2021, ONE Championship got the better of the UFC amassing a whopping 13.8 million video views across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. ONE claimed the second spot on the list while the UFC stood at the fifth position.

Chatri Sityodtong lauded the quality of athletes in his roster with a ONE vs UFC wish

Sityodtong also claimed that ONE Championship is better than the UFC in terms of the quality of athletes signed into the promotion. He stated, “If you look at roster quality, what is an average athlete in ONE? He or she is a world champion in one discipline or more prior to joining, at the highest levels. The pedigree of these guys is just different level.”

Sityodtong also put up the names of Demetrious Johnson and the Ruotolo Brothers as some of the elite athletes currently competing under the ONE Championship franchise.

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It was also evident that Sityodtong wanted a matchup between UFC fighters and ONE Championship fighters to prove their superior quality. He said, “I’d love to see a UFC versus ONE, champion versus champion.”

READ MORE – 3 of the Best Finishes From the Stars Competing at ONE on Prime Video 5

Quite expectedly, different people will have different opinions about it. But, looking at Nielsen’s figures, a lot would agree that Sityodtong wasn’t too wrong regarding his words about ONE Championship being better than the UFC in quite a few respects.

So, which one would you prefer, ONE or UFC?

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Souvik Roy

1,315 Articles

The coveted scrap between Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson in 2002 was when I realized the passion for combat sports within my family. My interest in combat sports began watching scripted pro wrestling shows. It was my father who directed me towards combat sports and it wasn’t until the late 2010s that I discovered the world of MMA and the UFC. Like many of you, I too, tuned in for the infamous Nurmagomedov vs. McGregor bout live on October 6, 2018. Being an ardent fan of the UFC (and Dustin ‘The Diamond’ Poirier), I was always looking to have conversations about the same with others. But to my disappointment, I hardly found any followers of the sports to interact with. So I took it upon myself to do my part in popularizing the thrill and the agony behind the purest form of unarmed combat. At EssentiallySports, I try to bring the readers closer to the athletes and focus my coverage on exploring the human side of these martial artists. I’m a musician during my time free from reporting MMA. I operate as the lead vocalist of a rock band that aims to make their mark among the audiences with their original alternative-hard rock songs. You can hit me up at-

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Rohini Kottu

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