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ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong caused a lot of controversy when he stated that his organization has the best strikers in the world, unlike the very “sloppy, mediocre-ish striking” Sityodtong says he’s seen in the UFC.
ONE Championship not only features MMA, but also has several divisions in both Muay Thai and kickboxing, which are clearly striking-based sports. Sityodtong thinks that factor only supports his claim. He said the gap in levels between ONE and the UFC is “not even close.”
Jonathan Haggerty, the current ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world champion, agrees with his boss about the striking in ONE compared to other organizations, including the UFC.
“One million percent — ONE Championship is the home of the greatest strikers, in my opinion,” Haggerty told MMA Fighting. “I believe the best strikers are on the ONE Championship roster, for sure.”
It’s difficult to dispute that logic, since ONE promotes two striking-based sports that don’t exist in the UFC. Haggerty’s opinion is also reasonable considering the opportunity that ONE finally gave to many of the best Muay Thai and kickboxing practitioners in the world, who were previously struggling to get exposure on a global scale, let alone earn substantial financial rewards.
Haggerty has it all these days. He not only dominated the flyweight Muay Thai division in ONE, he also moved up a weight class and pulled off one of the biggest shocks in promotional history when he knocked out two-time Lumpinee Stadium Fighter of the Year, Nong-O Gaiyanghadao, to win the bantamweight title.