From Dirt Poor to Top-10 Sports-Media Franchise — Chatri Sityodtong, CEO of ONE Championship

Chatri Sityodtong is the founder and CEO of 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. Sponsors: AG1 all-in-one nutritional supplement: https://DrinkAG1.com/Tim (1-year supply of Vitamin D (and 5 free AG1 travel packs) with your first subscription purchase.) Helix Sleep premium mattresses: https://HelixSleep.com/Tim (20% off on all mattress orders) Wealthfront high-yield cash account: https://Wealthfront.com/Tim (Start earning 4.00% APY on your short-term cash until you’re ready to invest. And when new clients open an account today, you can get an extra fifty-dollar bonus with a deposit of five hundred dollars or more.) Terms apply. Tim Ferriss receives cash compensation from Wealthfront Brokerage, LLC for advertising and holds a non-controlling equity interest in the corporate parent of Wealthfront Brokerage. See full disclosures here. Tim Ferriss is one of Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Business People” and an early-stage tech investor/advisor in Uber, Facebook, Twitter, Shopify, Duolingo, Alibaba, and 50+ other companies. He is also the author of five #1 New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers: The 4-Hour Workweek, The 4-Hour Body, The 4-Hour Chef, Tools of Titans and Tribe of Mentors. The Observer and other media have named him “the Oprah of audio” due to the influence of his podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show, which has exceeded 900 million downloads and been selected for “Best of Apple Podcasts” three years running. Sign up for "5-Bullet Friday" (Tim's free weekly email newsletter): https://go.tim.blog/5-bullet-friday-yt/ Follow the Tim Ferriss Podcast: https://tim.blog/podcast/ Visit the Tim Ferriss Blog: https://tim.blog/ Follow Tim Ferriss on Twitter: https://twitter.com/tferriss/ Follow Tim Ferriss on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timferriss/ Like Tim Ferriss on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TimFerriss/ [00:00] Start. [00:23] Chatri Trisiripisal vs. Yodchatri Sityodtong [02:18] My own experience with Muay Thai. [03:49] Chatri’s introduction to Muay Thai. [04:43] Chatri processes the strained relationship with his father. [11:43] Fight Porn and my introduction to ONE. [13:13] A pep talk in Japanese. [17:25] Chatri’s secret life in a Harvard dorm with his mother on $4 a day. [23:24] How Chatri made the money to fuel his martial arts ambitions. [28:23] Why wealth has never provided Chatri with a sense of security. [32:08] The moment Chatri began to fulfill one his mother’s prophecies. [34:44] “To unleash your greatness, you must be surrounded by greatness.” [38:39] Witnessing Yamato-damashii: the Japanese warrior spirit. [42:16] Moving to Singapore and starting Evolve. [45:45] Overcoming ONE’s initial financial challenges. [53:31] Building ONE with Bushido-grade excellence. [59:42] How ONE maintains quality and quantity fights and fighters. [01:11:27] Leveraging social media to bring compelling human stories to ONE’s forefront. [01:22:00] Chatri’s $100 million breakfast with Sequoia Capital. [01:37:41] Making deals with CAA’s Fabian Stechel. [01:41:18] A serendipitous meeting that resulted in investment from Qatar. [01:44:03] Changing lives and building relationships across generations with martial arts. [01:47:58] Recommended reading and admirable storytellers. [01:57:58] A gracious invitation. [01:59:34] Where in the world is ONE enjoyed most? [02:04:14] Dealing with AI development and deep fakes. [02:05:48] Global broadcasting business from behind the scenes. [02:13:41] Funds raised and the competitive benefits of being early in the game. [02:16:45] Fond regards for Renzo Gracie. [02:21:06] Legendary fighters we would love to witness in their prime. [02:23:52] High marks for Marcelo Garcia. [02:26:56] How I learned what Chatri calls “flawless” Japanese. [02:29:12] Chatri’s billboard and parting thoughts.

Chatri SityodtongguestTim Ferrisshost

Jun 4, 20252h 32mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: June 4, 2025
Duration: 2h 32m
Channel: Tim Ferriss
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Chatri Sityodtong is the founder and CEO of 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. Sponsors: AG1 all-in-one nutritional supplement: https://DrinkAG1.com/Tim (1-year supply of Vitamin D (and 5 free AG1 travel packs) with your first subscription purchase.) Helix Sleep premium mattresses: https://HelixSleep.com/Tim (20% off on all mattress orders) Wealthfront high-yield cash account: https://Wealthfront.com/Tim (Start earning 4.00% APY on your short-term cash until you’re ready to invest. And when new clients open an account today, you can get an extra fifty-dollar bonus with a deposit of five hundred dollars or more.) Terms apply. Tim Ferriss receives cash compensation from Wealthfront Brokerage, LLC for advertising and holds a non-controlling equity interest in the corporate parent of Wealthfront Brokerage. See full disclosures here. Tim Ferriss is one of Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Business People” and an early-stage tech investor/advisor in Uber, Facebook, Twitter, Shopify, Duolingo, Alibaba, and 50+ other companies. He is also the author of five #1 New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers: The 4-Hour Workweek, The 4-Hour Body, The 4-Hour Chef, Tools of Titans and Tribe of Mentors. The Observer and other media have named him “the Oprah of audio” due to the influence of his podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show, which has exceeded 900 million downloads and been selected for “Best of Apple Podcasts” three years running. Sign up for "5-Bullet Friday" (Tim's free weekly email newsletter): https://go.tim.blog/5-bullet-friday-yt/ Follow the Tim Ferriss Podcast: https://tim.blog/podcast/ Visit the Tim Ferriss Blog: https://tim.blog/ Follow Tim Ferriss on Twitter: https://twitter.com/tferriss/ Follow Tim Ferriss on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timferriss/ Like Tim Ferriss on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TimFerriss/ [00:00] Start. [00:23] Chatri Trisiripisal vs. Yodchatri Sityodtong [02:18] My own experience with Muay Thai. [03:49] Chatri’s introduction to Muay Thai. [04:43] Chatri processes the strained relationship with his father. [11:43] Fight Porn and my introduction to ONE. [13:13] A pep talk in Japanese. [17:25] Chatri’s secret life in a Harvard dorm with his mother on $4 a day. [23:24] How Chatri made the money to fuel his martial arts ambitions. [28:23] Why wealth has never provided Chatri with a sense of security. [32:08] The moment Chatri began to fulfill one his mother’s prophecies. [34:44] “To unleash your greatness, you must be surrounded by greatness.” [38:39] Witnessing Yamato-damashii: the Japanese warrior spirit. [42:16] Moving to Singapore and starting Evolve. [45:45] Overcoming ONE’s initial financial challenges. [53:31] Building ONE with Bushido-grade excellence. [59:42] How ONE maintains quality and quantity fights and fighters. [01:11:27] Leveraging social media to bring compelling human stories to ONE’s forefront. [01:22:00] Chatri’s $100 million breakfast with Sequoia Capital. [01:37:41] Making deals with CAA’s Fabian Stechel. [01:41:18] A serendipitous meeting that resulted in investment from Qatar. [01:44:03] Changing lives and building relationships across generations with martial arts. [01:47:58] Recommended reading and admirable storytellers. [01:57:58] A gracious invitation. [01:59:34] Where in the world is ONE enjoyed most? [02:04:14] Dealing with AI development and deep fakes. [02:05:48] Global broadcasting business from behind the scenes. [02:13:41] Funds raised and the competitive benefits of being early in the game. [02:16:45] Fond regards for Renzo Gracie. [02:21:06] Legendary fighters we would love to witness in their prime. [02:23:52] High marks for Marcelo Garcia. [02:26:56] How I learned what Chatri calls “flawless” Japanese. [02:29:12] Chatri’s billboard and parting thoughts.

SPEAKERS

Chatri Sityodtong
guest
CEO of ONE Championship and martial arts entrepreneur (Evolve MMA), with a background in finance and startups.
Tim Ferriss
host
Host of The Tim Ferriss Show and author/investor known for long-form interviews with top performers.

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Tim Ferriss, featuring Chatri Sityodtong and Tim Ferriss, From Dirt Poor to Top-10 Sports-Media Franchise — Chatri Sityodtong, CEO of ONE Championship explores chatri Sityodtong on building ONE through suffering, stories, and finishes Chatri Sityodtong describes a childhood that shifted from wealth to sudden poverty after his father’s bankruptcy and abandonment, and how that experience reshaped his relationship to security and gratitude.

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