On Thursday, January 25, ONE Championship got fight week rolling in Tokyo with a press conference for ONE 165. The huge card will air live on global pay-per-view on Sunday, January 28. It is a star-studded lineup that ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong was rightfully lauding.
Noting his respect for other promotions in the region, such as K-1 and Rizin, Sityodtong broke down why this event means so much to him. In part, it is due to his own heritage. He cited that he believes ONE can bring the bushido culture back to the country and capture the past magic of Pride.
“I believe ONE Championship is the right organization, in partnership with Rakuten and all of our partners, to really make a big, big push into Japan using these Japanese superstars and working together with the Japanese superstars in rallying Japanese honor and glory for martial arts. This is the real meaning of me coming back to Japan. It’s a very personal meaning; maybe some of you know or not, my grandmother’s side was Samurai blood, so this is something very personal for me,” Sityodtong said.
One of the marquee bouts is a lightweight MMA scrap between Shinya Aoki and Sage Northcutt. It is a contrast between the two athletes in and out…
