Black Belt Team 
ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong was beaming at the ONE Fight Night 10 post-event press conference. And he had every reason to be smiling ear-to-ear.
After an incredible build-up, the star-studded event delivered across the board. The 1stBank Center was loud and appreciative of ONE’s epic U.S. debut.
“I just want to thank the fans all over the States. You’re really [great]. I’m so full of gratitude and appreciation. Like I said, America gave me the opportunity to escape poverty and live the American dream. To come back here, it just blows my mind,” Sityodtong said at the post-event press conference.
The reception for Asia’s largest sports media property came as a surprise to its co-founder. Sityodtong was cautiously optimistic heading into the May 5 event, but the response blew him away.
“I’m kicking myself because my team was saying, ‘Let’s do 15,000 or 20,000 seater,’ and I was like, ‘No, our brand is just nascent in the States.’ I honestly had no idea that we had a fan base in the States because we’ve only been on Amazon Prime once a month. So I’m sitting down with the Amazon team leadership. We’re sitting down tomorrow morning at 10 am to figure out ways to deepen, broaden, and expand the partnership,” Sityodtong said.
“I think this event was an overwhelming success. Just look at the viewership metrics, look at the trending social metrics, look at the stadium, the fact that we sold out weeks in advance. I think when we put out the ticket link, when we first announced the event, within ten days, we were 70 percent sold out with zero marketing. There’s a clear rabid fan base, in our brand, in our product, and the whole of martial arts, it’s really resonating with American fans, and it’s something totally new, totally different from anything existing in the market. It’s completely unique anywhere in the world. I think there’s a huge opportunity here.”
But the backbone of the promotion is the athletes. And Sityodtong could not have been more proud of the stars who came out to shine at ONE Fight Night 10.
Promoting real-life superheroes with inspirational stories has been the calling card of ONE. And those stories got to have their moment on a massive platform last week.
“I’m so inspired by them. If you look at their journeys, Stamp was dirt poor. She was living on less than a dollar per day. When she was a child, she got bullied and picked up Muay Thai. In Thailand, girls don’t do Muay Thai. She really bucked a trend. They weren’t even allowed to compete, until recently, in major stadiums like Lumpinee and Rajadamnern. Only because of ONE Championship and Stamp, she became a superstar that the walls for women broke down in Thailand,” Sityodtong said.
“And then you look at Mikey. He’s a kid who’s been super nerdy his whole life. It’s true, he’s a wonderful sweetheart with a heart of gold, but he didn’t have the easiest childhood. He has suffered from depression all his life. So anyone suffering from depression, if Mikey can do it, you can do it.”
“Yes, these two are the best in the world. There’s no question about it. They’re the best for what they represent for humanity. If parents all across the States and all across the world, if they put up posters of Mikey or Stamp, those are great role models. Not because their kids want to be fighters but because, ‘Hey, you want to be a doctor? You can overcome adversity like Mikey did. Do you want to become a CEO in the future? You got to do what Stamp did and take risks and sacrifices for a dream. These are the most powerful messages that I want to spread around the world.”
Sityodtong closed the press conference with a statement to the fans. With how the U.S. fans showed their support, it is evident that there are going to be big plans for the future, and more ONE events will be on their way.
“I just want to thank all the American fans who showed up to support not just here in Denver, Colorado, but also on Amazon Prime. I predict we will break viewership records on Amazon as well. Truly from the bottom of my heart, everywhere around the world, thank you so much for supporting. This is the beginning of ONE in America, and thank you so much from the bottom of my heart. Thank you,” Sityodtong said.
ONE Fight Night 10: Johnson vs. Moraes III | Post-Event Press Conference
Tune in for the official post-event press conference, featuring ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong along with the superstars of ONE Fight Night 10 on Pri…
Mma, Mixed martial arts, One fc, One championship
Black Belt Magazine
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