ONE Championship will be back in Denver, Colorado this Friday night. It will be the Singapore-based promotion's second event on U.S. soil after a thrilling debut in the same city in May of 2023, and much like the first, it will offer a smorgasbord of martial arts action.
Nearly half of the fights on Friday's ONE 168 bill, set to air on Prime Video, will be contested under Muay Thai rules.
That is by design, according to ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong.
Chatri, a Thai national now based in Singapore, regularly trains in "the Art of Eight Limbs" himself, and has long sensed that the sport has the potential to become a mainstream hit in the United States.
"At the end of the day, fight fans all over the world love finishes, and they love fighters who have big hearts," Chatri told the Sporting News in the lead-up to Friday's card at Denver's 21,000-seat Ball Arena. "That's Muay Thai for you."
Chatri's theory was validated when ONE debuted in the U.S. last year.
The 2023 card featured some of the biggest names in Muay Thai, including Thai champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon, who got the loudest reception of the night — even louder than the one received by MMA legend Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson. "The Iron Man" was nearly pulled into the bleachers following his knockout win over Edgar Tabares.
"Rodtang, who doesn't speak a word of English, got a bigger ovation than Demetrious Johnson, who's the GOAT of mixed martial arts," Chatri recalled. "He was like a rockstar."
Rich Franklin, a UFC Hall-of-Famer and ONE's long-serving Vice President, has similarly fond memories of Rodtang's reception in Denver. He also shares Chatri's perception that Muay Thai has the potential to become a hit among American sports fans — particularly ONE's brand of Muay Thai, which is contested in four-ounce MMA gloves, rather than traditional boxing gloves.
"[Muay Thai fighters] are on such a different level with their standup," Franklin told the Sporting News. "It is lightyears above and beyond that of MMA fighters. You're just seeing a different level of striking. It truly is entertaining, and you couple that with the fact that they're wearing the same gloves that you wear in an MMA matchup, and they're really exciting fights.
"Once the U.S. fans are introduced to this product, and see the fact that these athletes are just so much cleaner with their standup, the interest [in Muay Thai] is going to grow exponentially."
ONE 168's headlining attraction will see bantamweight Muay Thai champion Jonathan Haggerty, from the U.K., defend his belt against flyweight champ Superlek, a Thai. It will be the second time the pair have met — Superlek defeated Haggerty outside of ONE in 2018 — but both fighters have changed significantly since their first encounter.
"When we last fought, I was a boy," Haggerty told the Sporting News ahead of the rematch. "I’m a man now. I’m adapted. I know myself as a fighter. I know what works for me and what doesn’t. I’m a completely different fighter."
Neither Chatri nor Franklin was prepared to give a prediction for Friday's main event, but both forecasted a thrilling fight, with a high chance of a knockout.
"[American fans] are gonna be blown away," Chatri said. "[These are] the world's greatest strikers, in their prime, both knockout artists, both incredible craftsmen, master technicians at what they do, and they have knockout power and they're fast. It's a real treat for American fans."
The card will also feature another high stakes U.K. vs. Thailand fight, with British fan favorite Liam "The Hitman" Harrison taking on Seksan, a veteran with hundreds of fights, and the owner of one of the greatest — and longest — nicknames in combat sports: "The Man Who Yields to No One."
The pair have been involved in some of the most violent contests in recent Muay Thai history — check out Harrison's fight with Muangthai if you haven't seen it — and are expected to deliver again in Denver.
"Both are legends and both guys are knockout artists," Chatri said. "Liam, I think he can put together another streak and actually end up vying for a world title. I really believe he still has it.
"Seksan is just an old grizzled veteran with almost 400 professional fights, or maybe over 400 professional fights. I don't even know, but he's been around the block, done this, done that, done everything possible in striking. He's a monster."
It remains to be seen if ONE can gain a meaningful foothold in the United States, particularly with MMA promotions like the UFC, PFL, and Bellator already well established in the market.
Both Franklin and Chatri are optimistic, however, pointing to the fact that ONE is quite different than its American counterparts, due in large part to the fact that it also offers Muay Thai bouts.
"The differentiation is a big part of our brand identity," Franklin said, referencing the range of martial arts ONE promotes.
"We offer something so different that I don't think we are head on competitors, per se, with the existing organizations," Chatri added. "The DNA and the ethos of ONE is completely, 180-degrees opposite of the UFC. UFC is great at selling pay-per-views with hype and hatred and anger and controversy. We unleash real-life superheroes. We tell their stories."
In addition to its five Muay Thai fights — one of which will see UFC veteran John Lineker try his hands at the sport opposite Asa Ten Pow — Friday's ONE 168 bill will feature five high-level MMA contests, as well as a submission grappling title fight.
ONE's American fans have been eagerly awaiting the event, particularly given that it's been well over a year since the promotion last visited.
The wait for ONE's next U.S. event won't be as long.
The promotion is already locked in for a show in Atlanta on November 8. That card will be topped by two MMA title fights, but will also feature some high-level Muay Thai action — including another appearance from Rodtang, who will defend his flyweight belt against Jacob Smith.
There are plans for more ONE events in U.S. soil in 2025, and we can expect just as much Muay Thai action on those cards — much to the elation of the sport's growing fanbase in the country.
"We're already planning 2025, and we're very excited for what that year is going to bring." Franklin said.
"We're nowhere close to being mainstream here right now," Chatri added. "One day I think we will be mainstream. We are very well positioned to make a big splash in America."
