From Dirt Poor to Top-10 Sports-Media Franchise — Chatri Sityodtong, CEO of ONE Championship

A conference where Chatri was invited to speak on a sports panel, leading to his serendipitous meeting with Hassan Al Thawadi.

Known as 'The Russian Bear,' he was the opponent whom Renzo Gracie famously knocked out with an upkick in an old Extreme Fighting Championship match.

A city where Chatri experienced a profound moment of liberation and possibility while lying on the roof of an RV, looking at the stars after selling his first company.

Bruce Lee's first martial arts book, which Chatri mentions having a major impact due to its philosophical depth.

A legendary venture capitalist from Sequoia Capital who quickly identified ONE Championship as a robust platform business that was difficult to dismantle by engineers.

An example of a simple, non-materialistic possession Chatri owns, contrasting with the luxury items he could afford.

Arguably one of the greatest jiu-jitsu practitioners of all time, known for his Marcelotine submission and incredibly kind demeanor. He is making a comeback in ONE Championship after battling cancer.

One of the greatest pound-for-pound strikers on the planet who knocked out Takeru in 80 seconds at Saitama Super Arena.

The current welterweight champion in ONE Championship, whom Marcelo Garcia wants to fight in what could be the biggest jiu-jitsu match in history.

A pound-for-pound striker who fought and was knocked out by Rodtang in March in Tokyo. Chatri gave him a pep talk backstage.

A company where Chatri worked as a tutor, performing odd jobs to earn money during his grad school days.

Chatri's first startup, an enterprise resource software company that started as a marketplace and morphed into enterprise optimization, with Jiffy Lube as a major customer.

A ONE Championship fighter known for her personality, devastating liver kicks, and engaging social media presence, used as an example of a compelling athlete story.

A major sports broadcaster in the UK/Europe, akin to ESPN, that secured a deal with ONE Championship through Fabian Stel of CAA.

A legendary Dutch Muay Thai fighter, known for his powerful left hook and willingness to fight the best Thai fighters in Thailand in the '80s and '90s.

A notable Muay Thai gym in San Francisco where Tim Ferriss trained, and a sister camp in Bangli, Thailand. It's known for its longevity and producing fighters who adopt the 'Fairex' last name.

A book that fascinated Chatri as a teenager and sparked his interest in finance and investing, leading to his obsession with figures like Warren Buffett.

A legendary martial artist and member of ONE Championship's matchmaking team, contributing to the high quality of fights.

A book that Shopify would give to all new managers, mentioned as an example of a book used to cultivate talent and shared values within a company.

A venture capital firm that first invested in ONE Championship after an accidental elevator encounter, later orchestrating the meeting with Michael Moritz and Douglas Leone.

Chatri's Muay Thai grandmaster who gave him his fight name, Sit Yotong, and taught him deep philosophical lessons. He died penniless after giving away lottery winnings to the less fortunate.

A legendary martial artist who is part of ONE Championship's matchmaking team, helping to create compelling fights.

The sovereign wealth fund of Qatar that invested in ONE Championship as a result of Chatri's connection with Hassan Al Thawadi.

A book by Renzo Gracie that Chatri highly recommends, relating jiu-jitsu principles to life lessons, emphasizing flow over force.

China's central government TV channel that publicized Tang Kai's first MMA world championship victory, leading to massive viewership.

A legendary leg lock specialist from Japan, who Marcelo Garcia fought in his ONE Championship debut after a 13-year hiatus and cancer recovery.

A legendary stadium in Tokyo, Japan, where Pride and K-1 events were held, and where ONE Championship hosted a major event in March.

An angel investor who gave Chatri and his co-founder a $500,000 check after a one-hour meeting, enabling their first startup.

The largest customer of Chatri's first startup, Next Door Network, utilizing their dynamic pricing and enterprise optimization software.

A jiu-jitsu master and author whose book '32 Principles' offers powerful life lessons. He and Chatri consider themselves 'brothers from another mother.'

Known as 'The Axe Murderer,' a killer MMA fighter from the old days whom Chatri would love to see compete in ONE Championship.

A senior person at CAA responsible for selling media rights who connected with Chatri and was instrumental in securing major broadcast deals for ONE Championship, including Amazon and Sky Sports.

Former chairman of FIFA Qatar World Cup, now a close friend of Chatri and a martial artist, whose meeting led to Qatar Investment Authority investing in ONE Championship.

A fighter admired by Hassan Al Thawadi, indicating high-level martial artists are recognized across different sports organizations.

China's first MMA world champion, whose victory and homecoming were widely celebrated and resulted in a billion organic video views for ONE Championship.

One of the first non-Thai fighters who came to Thailand and fought the best, revered as a great Muay Thai figure.

A book about storytelling and creativity from the president of Pixar, which Tim Ferriss mentioned as a nerve-wracking interview.