Rumors and claims have swirled for a long time in the combat sports world regarding both the imminent bankrupcy and profitability of ONE Championship.
In 2019, CEO Chatri Sityodtong said ONE, “will be profitable within 18 to 24 months.” In 2022 the timeline had changed, with him saying ONE will be “profitable within 12 months.”
He may have been exaggerating somewhat, although ONE enjoyed considerable success at their second-ever US show in September of 2024, out-selling WWE in the same arena.
However, the demise of the martial arts promotion has also been exaggerated. For example, many Bloody Elbow articles no longer exist after they were bought out, but in 2023 they published an article claiming, “ONE Championship’s financial ‘runway expected to expire’ in 2024.”
Now, both sides have been proven wrong, as Bloomberg reports that the Singapore-based company secured another round of funding from the Qatar Investment Authority, who invested millions previously, as well.
This comes shortly after the news that ONE Championship will be moving one of their biggest events of the year, ONE 169, from Atlanta, Georgia to Bangkok, Thailand, where the majority of their events are held. This was due to partner obligations in Thailand, according to Cageside Press.
Regardless of the myriad swirling mysteries about ONE’s financials, the $50,000,000 investment from Qatar gives Chatri and Co. more time to turn a profit and please the investors who have bankrolled the promotion in hopes of challenging the UFC’s global mixed martial arts lead.
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