ONE Championship CEO and founder Chatri Sityodtong is not at all interested in having Conor McGregor be part of his roster of fighters.
Singapore-based promotion company ONE Championship has so far welcomed a number of marquee names that were formerly part of the UFC roster. Two of them were ex-champions Eddie Alvarez and Demetrious Johnson, and most recently, former top prospect Sage Northcutt has joined the mix.
But as far as company founder and CEO Chatri Sityodtong is concerned, there is a limit to the big-named fighters they plan to sign. UFC two-division champion Conor McGregor, for one, he says, will never be part of his roster of talents.
“No, I really wouldn’t (sign him),” he said on Monday’s episode of the Ariel Helwani MMA Show on ESPN (transcript by MMA Mania). “I don’t think he would do well out here in Asia based on the fact of some of the things that he did, already done.”
For Chatri, it has to do with ONE’s core values, which both “Mighty Mouse” and Miesha Tate have lauded.
“With any organization or company, there are going to be companies for x, y and z type of people and companies for a, b, c type of people,” Sityodtong said. “I think what you see now with companies like UFC, ONE Championship and Bellator, an athlete can choose where he or she is best represented or most feels at home for core values.”
“You take DJ; he will never be the trash talker or the guy who disses people. He is always going to take the high road, a man of character, man of values. For him to find a home here in ONE Championship he will be valued greatly and be much happier.”
McGregor will likely be the face of the UFC for the time being, as he’d just signed a new six-fight deal in September.