Earlier today, Chatri hosted a Q&A session with Thai fans, announcing several fights and other major news.
ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong once again went live on Facebook, this time not to address the Thai media, but fan questions in an hour-long Q&A session.
The Q&A covered a lot of ground, from his personal life through to fight announcements and other important developments. In our excerpt we compiled the majority of his quotes and statements, and highlighted the most important announcements made.
- I started training Muay Thai when I was 13-years-old at Sityodtong Gym with Kru Yodtong. I still train every day.
- I was a Muay Thai trainer at Harvard and competed in Muay Thai in the past.
- Someone said here that they want more kickboxing fights in ONE. Superbon will get his title shot if he wins and performs well in his next fight.
- Next year, there will be cage events at Lumpinee Stadium. It will only be for the biggest events. Currently, ONE is discussing this with the Thai government.
- It is not that I only like brawlers. I like every style including technical fighters. But fighters need to go for the finish. Sam-A is a technician, but he looks for the knockout.
- We are planning on organizing professional boxing matches in ONE Championship.
- Jonathan Haggerty will defend his title. I talked to him last night and he said he wanted to come back this September. I am not sure if it will be in England or somewhere else. Maybe it will be Nong-O or Rodtang. It will depend on Haggerty. Additionally, he wants to fight Harrison at Wembley Stadium in the UK. We are currently checking on this in the UK if this is possible.
- My favourite Thai food is Som Tum and sticky rice, Thai beef and pork Larb, Moo Ping, Kaeng Pa. Actually, I like all Thai food. 70-80% food I eat in Singapore is Thai food.
- In two or three years, Rodtang will be as big as Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi.
- Angela Lee is likely not coming back due to the loss of her sister. Christian Lee told me that he wants to come back.
- Foreigners want to see foreign fighters. That is why there are many foreign fighters at our Lumpinee shows.
- ONE Fight Night 10 [in Denver] sold out seven or eight weeks before the event. American fans were crazier for Rodtang or Stamp than for Demetrious Johnson.
- Next year, we are planning on having multiple events in the United States.
- Joseph Lasiri said nine months ago that he was scared. Then he said he wanted to retire. Four months ago he said he wanted to come back. Every two months, we are giving him a fight. Now he is injured. I don't know what is wrong with him.
- Stamp and Seo Hee Ham will fight in August for the Interim ONE Atomweight Championship.
- ONE Championship is back to Thailand thanks to the Royal Thai Army. They asked ONE to come to Lumpinee Stadium.
- For the past 10 years, Muay Thai was a mess because of fight-fixing and bribery to judges. This is why I came back to Thailand. Singapore has very strict laws, so no such things happen there.
- I am a clean businessman. I have never done any bribery.
- Aung La's next fight will be in two or three months.
- Takeru will debut in ONE Championship in six months.
- I understand that everyone wants to see Rodtang against Superlek. But it will be difficult to match them. Rodtang is fighting in six weeks.
- Rodtang will be the first Thai fighter in ONE to make 10 million baht ($290,000) a fight. He will receive this purse in his next fight. Rodtang is richer than me when I was 25 years old.
- Four months ago, Suakim said that he was broke and his wife left him. I felt sad for him, so I contacted PK Saenchai Gym to give him a fight. I am very happy that he is now training hard. Please cheer him on his ONE debut.
- I don't like when people trash fighters on social media after they lose.
- When I was 19 years old, I asked myself why Thai fighters are poor and how I can fix this. This is why I founded Evolve MMA. This is why I paid my Muay Thai trainers the biggest salaries.
- 99% of Muay Thai fighters across the world want to fight at ONE.
- Demetrious Johnson [MIGHT] fight Mikey Musumeci in Qatar.
While it's likely that the potential match between Demetrious Johnson and Mikey Musumeci will be contested under grappling rules, Chatri's staff cut him short and he rushed to end the livestream. ONE Championship reached out to us to clarify that the fight has not been booked yet.
