After nearly five years under the Asia-based MMA giant ONE Championship, former two-division champion Reinier de Ridder stunned the MMA world last year by making a dramatic switch to the UFC. But it wasn’t just the move that grabbed headlines—it was what came next. Soon after signing with the UFC, the Dutch fighter pulled back the curtain on his former promotion, delivering a stark warning to up-and-coming athletes.

“If you think of signing with ONE Championship, don’t. It’s that simple. You should not. There’s nothing there. There are no fights. You’re just wrong if you do it. It’s a bad mistake,” said RDR.

His unfiltered comments directly clashed with the long-standing image projected by ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong, who has consistently portrayed the organization as a fighter-first promotion built on happiness, opportunity, and martial arts values. Founded in 2011 by Sityodtong, a Thai entrepreneur and Muay Thai expert, ONE FC was designed to be a unique home for combat sports—hosting not only MMA bouts, but also Muay Thai, submission grappling, and even hybrid contests. Over the years, it has grown into a major name in the global MMA landscape.

However, the promotion hasn’t been immune to criticism—particularly around financial transparency and alleged manipulation of internal records. Back in the day, Singapore-based financial publication DealStreetAsia predicted that ONE Championship might crumble by 2024. Yet now, in mid-2025, the reality looks far from that forecast. In fact, the latest numbers suggest the promotion is thriving. According to figures shared today by the ‘Fight Record’ Instagram page, ONE Championship’s economic footprint is bigger than ever.

“ONE Championship have today revealed their events generate approximately $470 million (16 billion THB) per year into the Thai economy. According to the quantitative economic report by Nielsen, they generate $7 million per ONE Friday Fights event, $7 million per ONE Fight Night event and $21 million per numbered event, with the remainder in retail, leisure, food and beverages.”

However, this rivalry with the UFC goes beyond just business. A few years back, ONE Championship Chairman Chatri Sityodtong made it personal by publicly challenging Dana White to a hand-to-hand fight—calling into question White’s actual understanding of combat sports. Dana White, unsurprisingly, brushed off the challenge without giving it much thought.

While White didn’t entertain the idea, he was quick to shut down the narrative being promoted by ONE Championship’s leadership. Nevertheless, the Singapore-based promotion continues to position itself as a global competitor, taking jabs at the UFC from time to time.

ONE Championship’s heartthrob challenges Dana White’s UFC promotion tactics

Fans widely recognize Dana White’s sharp business instincts. From orchestrating fights to captivating fans—even if it means bending the rules—White has always played by his own set of rules. This approach has kept him at the helm of the world’s biggest MMA organization, the UFC. By shifting MMA beyond a mere sport to a full-blown entertainment spectacle, White has successfully hooked audiences around the globe.

On the other hand, ONE Championship’s team disputes the authenticity of the rivalries seen during fight promotions. They argue that Dana White & Co. manufacture these conflicts purely to hype up fights and create compelling storylines. These claims were brought forward by ONE Championship’s digital personality Dua Shkara in an exclusive conversation with EssentiallySports’ Andrew Whitlaw.

The content creator highlighted the contrasting marketing strategies of the two promotions, stating, “They [UFC] want a villain and a superhero in every single card, which sells fights.” She went on to explain, “Whereas I think Chatri’s [Sityodtong] mentality is he wants his whole card to be full of superheroes. He wants people to look up to these fighters as opposed to villainizing them. And yeah, it’s an Asian approach for sure. It’s all grounded in martial arts and respect.” Shkara also described Dana White as purely a businessman.

What’s your view on the ongoing rivalry between ONE Championship and the UFC? Do you think ONE FC has what it takes to surpass the UFC? With ONE Championship set to make its return to the U.S. this August for ONE 173 in Denver, share your thoughts below!