Over the last few months, ONE Championship has been making major moves in the world of mixed marital arts (MMA), signing the likes of former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez and up-and-coming contender, Sage Northcutt.
The promotion even took part in a historic trade with UFC, sending Ben Askren over to the Octagon in order to obtain the services of former Flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson.
One man who likely will never join the ONE ranks, however, is Conor McGregor. That’s according to ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong, who says “Notorious” simply wouldn’t fit with the Asian culture or the promotion’s values based on the Irishman’s past antics such as this one and this one.
This despite his gigantic star power.
“No, I really wouldn’t (sign him). 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,” proclaimed Chatri on The Ariel Helwani MMA Show.
“I think a lot of companies her would take serious, serious issue. I don’t want to bad mouth anybody and Conor is his own guy,” he said. “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. 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.”
As far as Conor’s comments toward Chatri blaming him for the demise of the UFC’s Flyweight division based on greed, Sityodtong has some words for “Notorious.”
“I think Conor Mcgregor might want to go to business school to understand that it’s UFC division if they want to close it down. It has nothing to do with me, I only signed one athlete. That’s like saying I should shut down the welterweight division because Ben Askren left. It makes no sense,” he added.
“I think he was doing it more to create a Twitter battle with me or something like that. I just didn’t engage. But I have a lot of respect for Conor and what he’s done, he’s just not a guy for us, One Championship or Asia, He’s just not the right guy,” he concluded.
Still, McGregor won’t be a free agent anytime soon as he is locked down with UFC for at least six more fights, and since “Notorious” doesn’t fight often, he could very well end his career inside the Octagon.
But that doesn’t mean he can’t take his other business to Asia.