ONE Championship is in its 11th year and has grown into a billion-dollar promotion. Chatri Sityodtong, the brain behind this unique promotion that puts up different martial arts forms under one roof, has played a pivotal role in making it one of the leading sports promotions in the world. And while doing so, he followed some codes that he was not willing to break, even if it meant never signing the biggest MMA star: Conor McGregor.

The Home of Martial Arts represents the humble side of the combatants. Thus, ONE CEO & Chairman, in an interview in 2018, expressed the values of ONE were something they will not break for any superstar.

Chatri Sityodtong will never sign Conor McGregor to ONE Championship

In a Sherdog interview, the millionaire promoter said, “Someone like Conor McGregor [or] Colby Covington has zero chance of ever getting signed by One Championship.”

“Even if they were free agents [and] wanted to compete in One Championship for $1, we would say no.”

The Irishman has been a box-office superstar for the American promotion UFC. However, living up to his nickname – ‘The Notorious’ – the Dublin-born fighter has sparked many controversies in his MMA career.

Likewise, another star the ONE supremo mentioned he would avoid in ONE was Colby Covington. ‘Chaos’ has used the microphone to extreme advantage to get into the heads of his opponents.

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These are a few athletes that Chatri Sityodtong said he would not sign. However, a Croatian MMA star, who entertained fans with his highlight reel career, was someone ONE did not want to miss.

ONE Championship signed one of the hottest free agents: Roberto Soldić

The ever-expanding company always has its eyes on stars that will take the promotion to the next level. Since ONE lets fighters compete in different martial arts, it has been one of the go-to promotions for free agents.

Recently, ONE added KSW middleweight champion Roberto Soldić to its already rich roster. The 27-year-old (‘Robocop’) holds an overall MMA record of 20-3 (17 T/KO; 1 submission).

The Home of Martial Arts is also putting in a lot of work to keep its position as the top martial arts promotion. A $100 million investment in the Muay Thai industry with 52 shows at Lumpinee Stadium from 2023 are kinds of steps no other promotion is taking in the combat sports world.

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What do you make of Chatri Sityodtong refusing to sign fighters like Conor McGregor? Share your views in the comments section.