‘He Doesn’t Know Anything About Martial Arts’ – Chatri Sityodtong Claps Back at Dana White

1 Championship’s claim to being the “Home of Martial Arts” isn’t just a very simple battle cry, it is the core ethos for the now 10-12 months-old marketing.

For the past ten years, Just one has featured not only the very best mixed martial artists in the world, but also elite fighters throughout Muay Thai, kickboxing, submission grappling, and the like.

Which is why when someone like UFC President Dana White took potshots at the hybrid MMA-Muay Thai distinctive procedures match amongst Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson and Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon at A person X in December, One particular Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong could not assist but fire again.

“I really do not imagine Dana appreciates how to combat,” Sityodtong mentioned at the One particular: Revolution write-up-function interviews, in direct reaction to White’s remarks.

“Dana is a good businessman, but he does not know anything at all about martial arts. I don’t even assume he is aware of how to toss a leg kick. He talks like it with his athletes, but I’d enjoy to see a online video of him throwing a leg kick. I do not consider he’s even skilled to talk about Muay Thai.”

White had lately designed remarks about the Johnson-Rodtang matchup, stating it was “weird” and would “not work.” Sityodtong does not believe that White is in a situation to give his feeling on the bout.

Is Chatri Sityodtong the ideal human being to talk about martial arts?

To say Sityodtong appreciates what he’s conversing about when it will come to martial arts is an understatement.

Not only is Sityodtong a single of the prime movers in a person of the world’s most important sports activities attributes, but he himself is also a martial artist by way of and by, acquiring been a Muay Thai practitioner for shut to 4 a long time now, as very well as not long ago earning a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

“It’s diverse. I’ve been carrying out Muay Thai for 37 many years and nevertheless train every single working day, and I do BJJ five to six situations a week,” Sityodtong reported.

In comparison, White practiced boxing back again in his teenager yrs prior to he ultimately turned a supervisor and a businessman.

Demetrious Johnson vs. Rodtang Jitmuangnon hybrid match was a calculated shift

Sityodtong clarified that this unique set up for the Johnson-Rodtang bout wasn’t carried out on a whim. Alternatively, it was a calculated transfer aimed at pitting two of the most effective in their respective disciplines in this 1-of-a-type showcase for the promotion’s 10 12 months anniversary.

“We preferred to do some thing impressive and some thing different and I mentioned, let’s also pay back homage to Asian MMA and the heritage of Asian MMA,” Sityodtong said.

“This is our 10th calendar year anniversary and I said let’s do something with entire world title fights but at the similar time, let’s do some thing that celebrates the accurate spirit of what Japan began because I don’t believe men and women recognize but Shooto is basically the very first blended martial arts organization in background.”

“So I explained to my workforce: Consider of a outrageous combat that we could do. It is a 1-off point, it’s not like we’re going to do this just about every occasion with other fighters. It was just a mad concept to celebrate Asian MMA.”

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Sityodtong on the variation involving UFC and A person Championship

As for White, Sityodtong comprehended the American’s hesitance on this special hybrid match. But all innovations have their individual established of detractors in their heyday, and at the end of the day, it all boils down to the variance of the promotions at their main.

“We have a different method. UFC is the most significant mixed martial arts group in the earth. A person is the most significant martial arts firm in that we have several verticals of martial arts,” Sityodtong reported. 

“We have mixed martial arts, we have Muay Thai, we have kickboxing, we’ve even had boxing globe title fights, we’ve had submission grappling. We test to excite and delight and surprise fans, overcome sporting activities enthusiasts from all about the environment and from all genres. In quite a few ways, it is not just martial arts being One. I do imagine all martial artists on the world irrespectively, irrespective of whether it is karate, taekwondo or wrestling, or boxing or Muay Thai, we are all on the identical route.”

In summary, Chatri Sityodtong stated: “ONE is the property of Martial Arts. He can take what ever digs at One particular he wishes, I’ll take a dig at his leg kicks.”