Following the recent commotion surrounding Timothy Wheaton’s article, "ONE Championship Faces Crisis Across Multiple Fronts – Losses, Layoffs, Inactivity, Instability, and Investor Anxiety," and the subsequent backlash, former K-1 producer Carlos Kikuta took to social media to weigh in on the situation.
ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong hasn’t shied away from criticizing the Japan-based kickboxing organization, and Kikuta followed suit.
In a snide remark addressing ONE's struggles, Kikuta commented, "Perseverance is strength!" It’s worth noting that Kikuta left his position as K-1 producer in December 2024 and no longer represents K-1.
This marked a stark contrast to K-1 founder and current K-1 advisor Kazuyoshi Ishii, who recently called for more collaborative efforts with ONE Championship.
Japanese kickboxing star Takeru, wasn’t too keen on the harsh words from his former employer. He fired back with:
“The place to fight is not against other organizations in the same industry, but against other sports or other entertainment. When someone who was a K-1 producer makes statements that belittle other organizations, it actually damages the image of K-1 and the fighting industry. It’s disrespectful to the athletes who are desperately fighting with their lives on the line.”
To which Kikuta responded, "It is precisely because of the respect for the ‘athletes fighting with their lives on the line’ that we cannot stay silent about a management structure that exploits fighters. If the backstage is rotten, no matter how hard the athletes strive, they won't be rewarded. That's why raising our voices is worth it, don't you think?
Takeru then outlined serious issues facing K-1 fighters behind the scenes: low fight purses, lack of coverage for injuries and hospital stays, having to cover their own travel and hotel costs, and highly restrictive contracts with automatic renewals, heavy penalties, and blacklisting clauses.
He contrasted this with his experience at ONE, where he says he finally feels treated like a professional athlete.
"First, please start by giving the K-1 fighters who are literally putting their lives on the line the respect they deserve: fair fight money, guaranteed coverage for injuries, and treatment appropriate for professional athletes.
Even when they fight three times in a single day during a tournament and end up physically wrecked, they only receive pay for one match.
Even if they suffer serious injuries, require hospitalization or surgery, the medical expenses come out of their own pockets.
Unless it’s a regional event, they even have to cover their hotel expenses before the fight themselves.Fighters are locked into contracts that automatically renew, and if they try to leave during the contract period, they are hit with penalty fees that amount to several times what they have earned so far.
Even if they wait until the contract expires, there is still a six-month "exclusive negotiation period" during which they are not allowed to sign with any other promotion. This effectively blacklists them during that time.
Can a promotion like that really criticize other organizations by saying things like "they exploit fighters," "their backstage is rotten," or "fighters aren’t rewarded"?
Of course, I am not saying ONE is without its problems, but after moving to ONE, I was treated as a professional athlete for the first time.
I am paid fight money that is actually worth risking my life for, and my injuries and medical costs from matches are covered.If you really care about the fighters and the industry, instead of making performative and critical posts on social media, why not directly share your concerns with ONE’s management?"
