#814: Chatri Sityodtong, CEO of ONE Championship — From Dirt Poor to Top-10 Sports-Media Franchise, The $100M Breakfast, Dominating Social Media (30B+ Views/Year), Key Strategic Decisions, and The Moneyball of Fight Matchmaking

Chatri Sityodtong (@yodchatri) is the founder and CEO of ONE Championship, one of the top-10 biggest sports-media properties in the world in terms of viewership and engagement (alongside the NBA, Formula One, Champions League, and Premier League), with a global broadcast reach to 195 countries.

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Timestamps:

[00:00:00] Start.

[00:06:49] Chatri Trisiripisal vs. Yodchatri Sityodtong

[00:08:35] My own experience with Muay Thai.

[00:10:05] Chatri’s introduction to Muay Thai.

[00:10:58] Chatri processes the strained relationship with his father.

[00:17:28] Fight Porn and my introduction to ONE.

[00:18:56] A pep talk in Japanese.

[00:23:00] Chatri’s secret life in a Harvard dorm with his mother on $4 a day.

[00:30:11] How Chatri made the money to fuel his martial arts ambitions.

[00:35:19] Why wealth has never provided Chatri with a sense of security.

[00:38:43] The moment Chatri began to fulfill one his mother’s prophecies.

[00:41:08] “To unleash your greatness, you must be surrounded by greatness.”

[00:44:56] Witnessing Yamato-damashii: the Japanese warrior spirit.

[00:48:43] Moving to Singapore and starting Evolve.

[00:51:59] Overcoming ONE’s initial financial challenges.

[01:03:06] Building ONE with Bushido-grade excellence.

[01:08:25] How ONE maintains quality and quantity fights and fighters.

[01:16:05] Leveraging social media to bring compelling human stories to ONE’s forefront.

[01:26:40] Chatri’s $100 million breakfast with Sequoia Capital.

[01:41:42] Making deals with CAA’s Fabian Stechel.

[01:45:13] A serendipitous meeting that resulted in investment from Qatar.

[01:47:51] Changing lives and building relationships across generations with martial arts.

[01:51:35] Recommended reading and admirable storytellers.

[02:01:03] A gracious invitation.

[02:02:39] Where in the world is ONE enjoyed most?

[02:07:14] Dealing with AI development and deep fakes.

[02:08:45] Global broadcasting business from behind the scenes.

[02:16:31] Funds raised and the competitive benefits of being early in the game.

[02:19:30] Fond regards for Renzo Gracie.

[02:23:49] Legendary fighters we would love to witness in their prime.

[02:26:27] High marks for Marcelo Garcia.

[02:29:23] How I learned what Chatri calls “flawless” Japanese.

[02:31:16] Chatri’s billboard and parting thoughts.

*

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