Dana White & UFC Handed Massive Challenge by ONE Championship Boss Chatri Sityodtong – “We Have the Best Champions”

ONE 166: Qatar was a landmark event for ONE Championship in many ways. The blockbuster March 1 fight card marked the organization’s much-anticipated debut in the nation of Qatar and ONE’s first event in the Middle East in a decade, headlined by a trio of massive World Title bouts at the picturesque Lusail Sports Arena.

First, Filipino sensation Joshua “The Passion” Pacio reclaimed the ONE Strawweight MMA World Title with a disqualification victory over Jarred “The Monkey God” Brooks in their animosity-filled rematch. However, better things may just be on their way.  But before we dig into that, we need to acknowledge that ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong threw a curveball in UFC honcho Dana White’s direction.

What did Chatri Sityodtong say?

Following the event, ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong fielded questions about a potential UFC-versus-ONE fight card. He said he would happily entertain such an event and is confident that his athletes would prove their dominance against the UFC’s best: “One of the most common questions I get asked is would I ever agree to a ONE vs UFC champion versus champion event. I would do it in a heartbeat. I truly believe we have the best champions on the planet, best athletes on the planet, best fighters. Across all disciplines.”

Fairplay to Sityodtong though, given how big ONE 166 was, he might actually have a valid point.

Just how big was ONE 166?

Now, while the Pacio-Brooks contest ended in a disappointing fashion, the stage is now set for an epic rubber match between the two best strawweight mixed martial artists on the planet. Of course, there was also the reigning ONE Featherweight MMA World Champion Tang Kai who scored a highlight-reel knockout over interim titleholder Thanh Le to retain his gold.

China’s first-ever male MMA World Champion, Tang captured the belt in August 2022 with a hard-fought decision win against Le. Now, following an extended layoff due to injury, he’s back and has proven his supremacy in the featherweight MMA division – consistently regarded as the most talent-rich weight class in the sport.

Also Read: Anatoly Malykhin Reveals His Preparation for Reiner De Ridder – “I Get Scared of Myself”

Finally, history was made in the main event. Anatoly “Sladkiy” Malykhin dominated middleweight MMA kingpin Reinier de Ridder en route to a third-round stoppage to win the ONE Middleweight MMA World Title and become an unprecedented three-division World Champion.

What’s more, the Russian superstar extended his perfect 14-0 professional record and maintained his impressive 100 percent finishing rate, firmly establishing himself as MMA’s most feared knockout artist. Now that the dust has settled on the ONE 166, fans and media alike are speculating how ONE’s roster of World Champions might fare against other MMA titleholders.

Now, will White respond to Sityodtong? It will be interesting for sure. Given how UFC post-fight conferences go, some scribe is bound to ask the UFC head about this. What do you think White’s response would be?

Also Read: ONE 166: Anatoly Malykhin Makes History by Becoming the First 3 Division World Champion in Major MMA Promotions