Chatri Sityodtong Condemns Coordinated Smear Campaigns, Reaffirms ONE Championship’s Growth and Financial Stability

ONE Championship founder, Chairman, and CEO Chatri Sityodtong has broken his silence regarding what he claims are highly orchestrated efforts to damage the reputation of his promotion. In a detailed and passionate Facebook post, Sityodtong revealed that ONE Championship has become the target of elaborate public relations and online attacks, which he likens to “dirty political smear campaigns.”

These sophisticated tactics, according to Sityodtong, have escalated significantly in 2025. He accuses certain malicious parties of weaponizing technology — including AI-generated deepfake videos, the creation of thousands of fake social media accounts, and publishing misinformation through online articles — all in an attempt to mislead the public and destabilize the organization’s global standing.

The attacks, he says, have focused on multiple fronts: discrediting the organization’s financial foundation, spreading falsehoods about its international broadcast partnerships, and undermining the promotion’s credibility. Notably, Sityodtong pushed back against rumors that ONE’s broadcast deal with Amazon Prime Video is set to expire this year, clarifying that the agreement actually runs through mid-2027.

While he was candid about ONE Championship’s imperfections — acknowledging the organization has had to downsize operations in some countries, reschedule events, and deal with athlete grievances — Sityodtong emphasized that these attacks go far beyond legitimate criticism. Instead, he sees them as part of a broader, malicious campaign designed to bring down one of the world’s leading combat sports properties.

“Over the last several years, as ONE has grown exponentially in popularity around the world, it has become a target of increasingly sophisticated online and PR attacks by malicious parties,” 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. Sadly, there are some who simply want to see ONE fail.”

Despite the adversity, Sityodtong remains confident in ONE Championship’s long-term future, particularly when it comes to finances. He acknowledged that building a globally recognized sports promotion from scratch has required major upfront investments, including producing content for 195 countries, recruiting top-tier martial arts talent, and staging large-scale international events.

He admitted to having misjudged the timeline for reaching profitability, but stated that since ONE’s peak investment year in 2019, the company’s operational costs have decreased significantly, while revenue has grown each year. According to him, monthly losses have steadily shrunk, indicating a clear path toward financial sustainability.

He also highlighted key performance indicators that reflect the company’s health — sold-out venues, global social media engagement, and consistent traction on trending platforms — which he says prove the promotion’s global fan base and monetization strategy are working.

Sityodtong concluded his statement with a tone of resilience and hope, emphasizing his belief in the power of integrity and optimism over negativity.

“Since our peak investment year in 2019, costs have come down steadily. Revenues have grown every year since inception and continue on a good trajectory. As a result, our monthly losses have now seen several meaningful step-function reductions. The path to profitability is now very clear,” he said. “At the end of the day, I truly believe that good always triumphs over evil and that love always defeats hate. Because we are ONE.”

As ONE Championship prepares for further global expansion, Sityodtong’s message is a defiant reminder that while criticism may be expected in the world of business, coordinated misinformation campaigns will be met with transparency and truth.