With more than 60 events planned, ONE Championship is looking to make a massive impression on martial arts fans around the world when the ball drops in the new year.
ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong is setting the stage for a huge 2024 for the organization.
In 2023, Muay Thai took centerstage. ONE held the vast majority of its events inside the historic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, with only three events outside of the city. That will change in the calendar turns.
“ONE Friday Fights and the Muay Thai product are very much on a firm footing now. We’ve laid the groundwork and feel very comfortable it’s running on autopilot, and now we’re able to scale up. We’ve firmly established we have the No 1 striking property on the planet. The focus will be sharply back onto mixed martial arts,” Sityodtong told South China Morning Post’s Nicolas Atkin.
The focus on MMA will begin with already-announced plans for a ONE Strawweight MMA World Championship rematch between champion Jarred Brooks and former titleholder Jacio Pacio early in the new year. Also announced, Sityodtong stated ONE Lightweight and Welterweight MMA World Champion Christian Lee would return for a title defense in February.
But Sityodtong is promising even more.
“The next chapter of 2024 is going to be a record high number of events for us across all different martial arts, around the world in different locations. I think that will get fans and athletes super pumped. I’d rather not comment too early right now,” the ONE Chairman and CEO said.
The Middle East will be one of many regions to see a ONE event next year. Sityodtong thanked stakeholders in Qatar ahead of the massive March 1 event in Doha.
Japan will see ONE return for two events in 2024, according to Sityodtong. A press conference is scheduled for the end of the month in Tokyo, and there was a slight tease for the expected debut of Takeru Segawa.
“I don’t think Takeru is training so hard for no reason,” Chatri said. “When I look at his Instagram, I think ‘my goodness this guy is a monster,’” Sityodtong said.
ONE Championship 'Back In Full Force' For 2024, says Chatri Sityodtong
Sityodtong concluded that ONE would embark on an event in Europe in 2024 as well.