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Tim Ferriss

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 (#814)

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“Suffering is a path to our greatness.”
— Chatri Sityodtong

Chatri Sityodtong (@yodchatri) is the founder and CEO of ONE (you might know it as 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. 

The largest sports-media property in Asia, ONE is also a celebration of Asia’s great cultural treasure martial arts. Chatri himself has more than 40 years of martial arts experience. He is a certified senior Muay Thai instructor under the legendary Kru Yodtong Senanan, and he holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Master Renzo Gracie. In 2019, he was inducted into the Black Belt Hall of Fame.

Chatri holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA from Tufts University.

Please enjoy!

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Castbox, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Audible, or on your favorite podcast platform. Watch the interview on YouTube. The transcript of this episode can be found here. Transcripts of all episodes can be found here.

This episode is brought to you by AG1 all-in-one nutritional supplement; Helix Sleep premium mattresses; and Wealthfront high-yield cash account.

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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

This episode is brought to you by Wealthfront! Wealthfront is a financial services platform that offers services to help you save and invest your money. Right now, your cash can earn 3.30% APY—that’s the Annual Percentage Yield—with the Wealthfront Cash Account from its network of program banks. That’s 8 times more interest than a typical savings account at a bank, according to FDIC.gov as of 1/22/2026 (Wealthfront’s 3.30% APY vs. 0.39% average savings rate). Right now, for a limited time, Wealthfront is offering new clients that use my sign-up link an additional 0.75% boost over the base rate for three months, meaning you can get up to 4.05% APY, limited to $150,000 in deposits. Terms & Conditions apply. Visit Wealthfront.com/Tim to get started. 

The Cash Account, which is not a deposit account, is offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC (“WFB”), member FINRA/SIPC. Wealthfront Brokerage is not a bank. The 3.30% Base APY on cash deposits is as of January 30, 2026, is representative, subject to change, and requires no minimum balance. The overall boosted rate is subject to change if the base rate decreases during the three-month promotional period. Tim Ferriss, who’s not a client, receives cash compensation from Wealthfront Brokerage LLC for advertising and holds a non-controlling equity interest in the corporate parent of Wealthfront Brokerage LLC, which creates an incentive that results in a conflict of interest. Tim expresses his own opinions and Wealthfront does not endorse, sponsor, or promote them. This ad may not reflect the experience of other Cash Account clients, and similar outcomes are not guaranteed. Investment advisory services are provided by Wealthfront Advisers LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. Securities investments: not bank deposits, not bank-guaranteed or FDIC-insured, and may lose value. See full disclosures here. 

This episode is brought to you by AG1! I get asked all the time, “If you could use only one supplement, what would it be?” My answer is usually AG1, my all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in The 4-Hour Body in 2010 and did not get paid to do so. Right now, get a FREE Welcome Kit, including Vitamin D3+K2 and AG1 Flavor Sampler, when you first subscribe. Visit DrinkAG1.com/Tim to claim this special offer today and receive your 1-year supply of Vitamin D—a vital nutrient for a strong immune system and strong bones!

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Want to hear another episode with someone who appreciates a good scrap? Listen to my conversation with former mixed martial artist Bas Rutten, in which we discussed martial arts tradition in the Netherlands, bullies, Pancrase, fighting Masakatsu Funaki and Minoru Suzuki, underrated Japanese fighters, pranks, self-defense for beginners and bouncers, street fighting, breathing with the O2 Trainer, and much more.

What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE

The transcript of this episode can be found here. Transcripts of all episodes can be found here.

  • Connect with Chatri Sityodtong:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn

  • Connect with ONE Championship:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Threads | YouTube | TikTok

Companies, Institutions, and Organizations

Books and Magazines

Martial Arts Disciplines

Events & Competitions

People

Places

Relevant Resources

SHOW NOTES

  • [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.

MORE CHATRI SITYODTONG QUOTES FROM THE INTERVIEW

“Suffering is a path to our greatness.”
— Chatri Sityodtong

“You never know what is good luck or bad luck until many years later, when you discover what the lessons were of that experience.”
— Chatri Sityodtong

“If you’re fighting for yourself — you’re fighting because you want a six-figure salary, you’re fighting because you want to buy a nice car — it’s very easy to quit. But when you’re fighting for something bigger than yourself, it’s impossible to quit.”
— Chatri Sityodtong

“I truly believe my grandmaster, Kru Yodtong Senanan, who used to always tell me — I never really understood it until much later in life — ‘To unleash your greatness, you must be surrounded by greatness.’”
— Chatri Sityodtong

“In society, I’m a CEO, but when I’m in training, I’m a nobody. These guys beat on me, but it levels me up. It’s a daily reminder to me that I’m here to learn, grow, and evolve and be the very best martial artist I can be.”
— Chatri Sityodtong

“Love, pain, and suffering. That combination can work magic in terms of unleashing human potential. You will discover things about yourself that you never even knew existed in you.”
— Chatri Sityodtong

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