ONE Championship CEO Chatri pushes back on speculation, says business is ‘very close to profitability'

Bangkok Post

2 days ago

ONE Championship chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong has pushed back at online criticism of his promotion – insisting the business is on track and 'very close' to profitability.
The Thai entrepreneur hit out in a lengthy Facebook post this week, responding to a wave of recent backlash from some fans and reporters, accusing ONE of facing a 'crisis across multiple fronts.'
'While my team and I are certainly frustrated, we understand it comes with the territory when building a young, high-profile global brand,' Chatri wrote. 'Sadly, there are some who simply want to see ONE fail.'
In a post that ranged from financial transparency to athlete grievances, Chatri acknowledged past missteps – including underestimating the timeline to profitability – but said the organisation was now in a much healthier place after years of high investment.
'Revenues have grown every year since inception and continue on a good trajectory,' he wrote. 'As a result, our monthly losses have now seen several meaningful step-function reductions. The path to profitability is now very clear.'
The comments follow the recent publication of critical articles, which claimed ONE was facing internal layoffs, athlete unrest, and investor anxiety – triggering debate across social media. The pieces also raised doubts about the promotion's US broadcast deal with Amazon Prime Video.
But Chatri flatly denied suggestions that the five-year Amazon deal – signed in 2022 – was nearing its end.
'Some 'journalists' have even gone so far as to make the false claim that our Amazon Prime Video partnership in the US ends this year,' he wrote. 'The truth is that it runs through mid-2027.'
Chatri also alleged that ONE had become the target of what he described as increasingly coordinated online smear campaigns, referencing deepfake videos and troll accounts.
'These attacks have happened before, and they will likely happen again,' he said. 'In many ways, these tactics resemble a dirty political smear campaign – except I am not running for any political office, and no one else at ONE is either.'
While defending the company's position, Chatri admitted the business had endured setbacks and athlete frustrations. But he said criticism from some fighters stemmed from clashing perspectives over matchmaking and entitlement.
'No one is necessarily right or wrong in these situations,' he said. 'Some athletes feel they deserve a title shot. Others might be struggling with a string of losses and looking for someone to blame. Some might believe they deserve more money.'
Chatri also touched on staff restructuring, saying downsizing in some countries had been necessary to support growth in others.
The Facebook post ended on an emotional note, calling on fans to 'rally' behind the athletes and embrace the values ONE says it represents.
'If you love our athletes and you love ONE, I invite you to double down on the good fight for a better world together,' Chatri said. 'At the end of the day, I truly believe that good always triumphs over evil and that love always defeats hate.'