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ONE Championship referee Paopom Watcharin found dead in Bangkok condominium

Beloved ONE Championship referee Paopom Watcharin was found dead in his home on Friday, per a report from the South China Morning Post. The 34-year-old former police sergeant and Muay Thai fighter last officiated on June 9, working the promotion’s ONE Fight Night 11 event inside Bangkok’s legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium. He was scheduled to […]

Beloved ONE Championship referee Paopom Watcharin was found dead in his home on Friday, per a report from the South China Morning Post.

The 34-year-old former police sergeant and Muay Thai fighter last officiated on June 9, working the promotion’s ONE Fight Night 11 event inside Bangkok’s legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium. He was scheduled to return to the iconic venue on Friday for an event that began at 7:30 p.m. local time, but he never showed up. The police reportedly found the referee dead in a condominium in the Bang Kapi area at 10 p.m. No details have been released regarding the cause of death.

“No one would know that the fight between Superbon and Tayfun Oscan would be the last time we would see Paopom,” ONE said in a statement on its Thai Instagram page. “Throughout our time working together, Paopom was perfect. He has never been late for a minute, but on Friday, June 16, Paopom did not appear at Lumpini as usual. After trying to contact him by phone several times, we heard the news that made the whole team upset.”

Paopom, whose full name was Watcharin Ratchaniphon, officiated two bouts at ONE Fight Night 11 earlier this month, including a contest between Thai kickboxing icon Superbon Singha Mawynn and Turkish standout Tayfun Ozcan. Superbon scored a brutal second-round head kick KO in what would turn out to be the referee’s final appearance inside the ring.

“ONE’s management and our team all mourn the passing and express their deepest condolences to the family and friends of Paopom during this difficult time,” ONE’s statement added. “We will always remember the good story of Paopom the police chief, Watcharin Ratchaniphon, ONE’s first Thai judge. In our memory forever.”

The Men and Women of ONE Championship Mourn The Loss of Paopom

ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong delivered a lengthy and heartfelt statement on Facebook after learning of the tragic news.

“Thank you for everything, Pom,” Sityodtong wrote in a Facebook post on Saturday. “You made history as the youngest and most decorated referee by the Sports Authority of Thailand. You made history as the first Thai referee to work on the global stage of ONE. You made history as a pioneer in the greatest era of Lumpinee Stadium.

“Above all though, you inspired all of us with your beautiful heart, loyal friendship, and warm humility. We will forever honour you and your work with the highest integrity and utmost passion. We will continue to carry the torch and ensure that it burns brightly around the world. We will miss you. May you rest in peace, my fellow warrior.”

Tayfun Ozcan, one of the two men who competed during Paopom’s final appearance as a referee, was left shocked by the news. “Unbelievable,” Ozcan told the Post. “He was so nice to me.”

Another fighter who had worked with Paopom earlier in the evening on June 9, Amber Kitchen, also shared her condolences. “Very devastating news about Paopom. He will be missed in the industry. I felt very safe in the ring with him,” Kitchen, 24, told the Post. “Condolences to his friends and family.”

Paopom’s co-worker and fellow referee Olivier Coste commented on the loss of his friend and encouraged those in need to reach out for help.

“Pom, brother. Not you,” Coste said. “I am devastated, we were so close together, but I would have never imagined that you were in such distress. I will never ever forget you, and I will always think of you when I will step in the ring. Love you Pom. If anybody needs to talk, please message me. I will always be here for anyone.”

Rest easy Paopom you could always tell how much he cared for the fighters even in this video he tries to stop Ozcan’s head from hitting the canvas https://t.co/YNeIyWos0C

— Charles (@blacksabrejr2) June 17, 2023

Rodtang Jitmuangnon touted as best paid Muay Thai fighter ever: ‘He’ll be as big as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi’

One Championship Muay Thai world champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon is set to become the highest Thai boxer ever. Aged just 25, Rodtang has competed in over 300 professional Muay Thai contests, and for the last five years has been tearing up the One Championship’s Muay Thai flyweight division. Rodtang has quickly become a fan favrioute and […]

One Championship Muay Thai world champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon is set to become the highest Thai boxer ever.

Aged just 25, Rodtang has competed in over 300 professional Muay Thai contests, and for the last five years has been tearing up the One Championship’s Muay Thai flyweight division. Rodtang has quickly become a fan favrioute and one of the promotions biggest stars.

Incredible power, a seemingly uncrackable chin and a willingness to engage has made the skilful striker must-see action. Rodtang has produced incredible contests and a highlight reel that could rival just about anyones. So the reigning One Muay Thai flyweight title will be rewarded for his efforts, and is set to become the sports highest ever paid athlete.

Rodtang Jitmuangnon pay increase

Talking to South China Morning Post, One Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong has confirmed that Rodtang will now earn $300,000 per fight, not including fight bonuses which the war merchant is prone to getting.

“Rodtang will earn $300,000 per fight,” Sityodtong said. “It’s the highest [pay] in the world for Muay Thai by a huge margin.” (h/ t Beyond Fighting).

Continuing on, Sityodtong revealed that he is confident that Rodtang’s popularity will only continue to grow, comparable to two of the biggest sports stars in the world.

“In two or three years, Rodtang will be as big as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi,” Sityodtong said.

Aiming for such stardom is certainly ambitious, there is no denying that One Championship have a star on their hands in the form of Rodtang. Beyond that though, they also have a great product with Muay Thai in the 4oz gloves. While some of the martial arts traditionalists are against it, it makes for highly entertaining, action-packed contests.

Check out some of Rodtang Jitmuangnon’s highlights here

Are you a fan of Rodtang Jitmuangnon?

ONE world champion Angela Lee is ‘likely not coming back’ to MMA after tragic loss of her sister, Victoria Lee

ONE Championship’s first and only women’s atomweight world champion, Angela Lee, is likely done with MMA after the tragic loss of her sister Victoria Lee. The mixed martial arts community was in shock after Angela Lee revealed that her sister and ONE Championship prospect, Victoria Lee, had suddenly passed away in December. Since then, the […]

ONE Championship’s first and only women’s atomweight world champion, Angela Lee, is likely done with MMA after the tragic loss of her sister Victoria Lee.

The mixed martial arts community was in shock after Angela Lee revealed that her sister and ONE Championship prospect, Victoria Lee, had suddenly passed away in December. Since then, the reigning atomweight queen along with her brother, two-division ONE world champion Christian Lee, have been absent from the promotion as they continue to mourn the loss of their little sister. The promotion has already made tentative plans to crown interim titleholders during their time away from competition, but according to ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong, Angela Lee may never return.

“Angela Lee is likely not coming back due to the loss of her sister,” Sityodtong said in a Facebook Watch video. “Christian Lee told me that he wants to come back. Stamp [Fairtex] and Seo Hee Ham will fight in August for the ONE atomweight championship.”

Rest In Peace Victoria Lee
Incredible tribute from @ONEChampionship pic.twitter.com/uNtuhUbcqP

— MMA UNDERGROUND (@theUG) January 14, 2023

Neither Christian nor Angela Lee have addressed their fighting futures directly, but in a separate statement made to the South China Morning Post, Sityodgong confirmed that Christian Lee plans to take the rest of 2023 off before resuming his reign as both the ONE lightweight and welterweight world champion.

“I spoke to Christian, he wants to fight 100 percent but he will take the rest of the year off,” Sityodtong confirmed. “He will return next year. We will do interim title fights in both divisions this year to keep everything moving.”

Angela Lee and Her Family Are Among the Most Accomplished Fighters in MMA

Angela Lee (11-3) captured the inaugural women’s atomweight world title in May 2016 and is yet to relinquish the title, defending it four times since then. Lee has also been active in the strawweight division, challenging titleholder Xiong Jing Nan twice as part of a trilogy between the two women’s MMA icons. Lee came up short of becoming a dual-champ in both attempts where the strawweight title was on the line.

Her brother, Christian Lee, reclaimed the ONE lightweight world title in August 2022, defeating Ok Rae Yoon in an emphatic fashion at ONE 160. Three months later, Lee claimed the welterweight crown in a Fight of the Year contender with Kiamrian Abbasov. Lee scored a fourth-round TKO after nearly being finished in the opening round to capture his second ONE world championship.

Before her untimely passing, Victoria Lee was one of the promotion’s hottest prospects, winning three fights inside the ONE Circle before graduating high school. Lee, appropriately nicknamed ‘The Prodigy’, opted to take time away from competing to focus on her final year of high school. Graduating in May 2022, Lee was planning to make her ONE Championship return in 2023.

ONE Championship titleholder Arjan Bhullar calls out Francis Ngannou for ‘The most-Watched fight of all time’

Reigning ONE heavyweight world champion Arjan Bhullar believes a fight between himself and Francis Ngannou could bring in 800 million viewers. ‘The Predator’ made waves two weeks ago after revealing that he had signed a ground-breaking contract with the Professional Fighters League. Aside from making himself a truckload of cash, Ngannou also guaranteed a fat […]

Reigning ONE heavyweight world champion Arjan Bhullar believes a fight between himself and Francis Ngannou could bring in 800 million viewers.

‘The Predator’ made waves two weeks ago after revealing that he had signed a ground-breaking contract with the Professional Fighters League. Aside from making himself a truckload of cash, Ngannou also guaranteed a fat stack of money for his future opponents and a seat at the head of the table for the PFL’s latest expansion into Africa. The former UFC heavyweight champion isn’t expected to step inside the Smart Cage until 2024, but if Arjan Bhullar gets his way, his ticket for the Francis Ngannou lottery will be the winning one.

Speaking with Chamatkar Sandhu on YouTube about a potential ONE vs. PFL co-promoted event, Bhullar suspects that the $2 million guaranteed purse for Francis Ngannou’s first opponent could be worth significantly more as part of a cross-promotion between the two global enterprises.

“And I think to be quite fair, I think that two million is if you’re in-house with the PFL. If we’re co-promoting, we’re doing this or that, there’s no ceiling to that,” Bhullar said.

Arjan Bhullar Believes a Fight Between Himself and Francis Ngannou Would Be the Most Watched Fight in MMA History

Arjan Bhullar also suggested that no other fighter in the world could bring as many eyes to the potential matchup as he.

“I think there’s significantly more, in terms of myself, there’s no other heavyweight on the planet that could bring 800 million eyeballs, [through] Star sports [broadcaster of ONE Championship in India], to the table being a champion with that. It would be the most-watched fight of all time, you wouldn’t get those eyeballs anywhere else” (h/t MMA News).

Before he begins lobbying hard for a scrap with Francis Ngannou, Arjan Bhullar will first need to deal with interim ONE heavyweight world champion Anatoly Malykhin. The two behemoths are scheduled to unify their titles on June 23 at ONE Friday Fights 22 after more than a year of delays and cancellations.

“June 23rd, I’ve got a date,” Bhullar continued. “I’ve gotta take care of that, but after that, nothing else, it’s all just talk. So no in terms of that, but if we’re just talking, we’re sitting on a podcast, then yes, definitely.”

Are you interested in seeing the reigning ONE heavyweight world champion mix it up with Francis Ngannou?

Francis Ngannou claims ONE Championship attempted to land his signing with Nelson Mandela comparisons

Francis Ngannou has revealed that ONE Championship CEO, Chatri Sityodtong had attempted to sway his signature from a verbal agreement with the PFL (Professional Fighters League) – claiming the promotion could make him as influential as the late anti-apartheid activist, Nelson Mandela. Ngannou, a former undisputed UFC heavyweight champion up and until his departure from […]

Ngannou, a former undisputed UFC heavyweight champion up and until his departure from the promotion back in January of this year, was the subject of main headlines across the globe this week, after his ground-breaking move to the above-mentioned, PFL was confirmed.

Francis Ngannou is expected to make his PFL debut next year

However, the Cameroon knockout artist, who will ride an impressive six-fight winning spree into his expected mixed martial arts return next year, held crunch talks with Singapore-based promotion, ONE Championship before his move to the PFL.

Revealing some details of that lengthy sit-down with the above-mentioned, Sityodtong in Los Angeles earlier this month, Francis Ngannou claimed that the promotional CEO had just put on a performance for him – in regards to the organization’s statistics and prowess.

“I think Chatri (Sityodtong) was just performing,” Francis Ngannou told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. “I told him and Matt Hume that I got the best offer from PFl and I don’t think, I’m not going to do any negotiation with you guys. That was like back, six weeks before that. And he was like, ‘Oh, I can fly you to Singapore. I can fly to Cameroon. I got this.’ He was all in. I was like, this is too much. I don’t know how to handle this.”

“How are you going to fly to Cameroon? What for? I just told the guy the situation and then he kept pushing. Then I sent it to my team. ‘I can’t handle this pressure from Chatri.’ Then he kept pushing, kept pushing. …So I have to see, for respect. We had a talk, I respect the guy, Matter of fact, I love Chatri. Now I even question if that story is true. But I used to love that story.”

And furthermore, during the discussion, Ngannou claims how Sityodtong tried to convince him that the organization could make the Batié native as well-known and influential as former South African president, Mandela.

“I have to drink three or four cups of coffee, listening to all those statistics, how ONE FC is in Asia, Asia is a 4.6 billion people [population], they’re going to do this, they showed me how ONE FC is going to explode, I’m going to be like Nelson Mandela,” Francis Ngannou continued. Brok, it was a hell of a performance. By the way, I applaud Chatri for his performance.”

Francis Ngannou hits out at Chatri Sityodtong amid PFL move: ‘I think he was just performing’

Off the back of his monumental signature to the PFL (Professional Fighters League), former undisputed UFC heavyweight champion, Francis Ngannou has revealed he felt pressured by ONE Championship CEO, Chatri Sityodtong, in his bid to attempt to lure his signing. Ngannou, a former undisputed UFC heavyweight champion, was officially announced as the newest acquisition of […]

Ngannou, a former undisputed UFC heavyweight champion, was officially announced as the newest acquisition of the PFL yesterday, with the Batié native striking a ground-breaking deal with the Peter Murray-led promotion.

Expected to make his return to mixed martial arts competition next year in a planned PFL debut, Francis Ngannou, who has been granted the freely competed in boxing under his new contract – is earmarked to make his debut in the squared circle later this year.

Francis Ngannou reveals details of his failed talks with ONE Championship

Holding talks with ONE Championship CEO, Sityodtong ahead of the confirmation of his move to the PFL, Ngannou was touted as rejecting a guaranteed $20,000,000 payday from the promotion, before he then claimed that promoters were “two-faced”.

Revealing details of his sitdown with Sityodtong in Los Angeles, Ngannou claimed he felt pressured by the promotional leader.

“I think Chatri (Sityodtong) was just performing,” Francis Ngannou told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. “I told him and Matt Hume that I got the best offer from PFl and I don’t think, I’m not going to do any negotiation with you guys. That was like back, six weeks before that. And he was like, ‘Oh, I can fly you to Singapore. I can fly to Camerron. I got this.’ He was all in. I was like, this is too much. I don’t know how to handle this.”

“How are you going to fly to Cameroon? What for? I just told the guy the situation and then he kept pushing. Then I sent it to my team. ‘I can’t handle this pressure from Chatri.’ Then he kept pushing, kept pushing. …So I have to seee, for respect. We had a talk, I respect the guy, Matter of fact, I love Chatri. Now I even question if that story is true. But I used to love that story.”