If Maximus Decimus Meridius was a real gladiator alive today, would he fight for the UFC or ONE Championship? We cannot possibly answer that. But what we can say is that Russell Crowe, who portrayed the fictional character has some serious praise for ONE Championship’s Chatri Sityodtong. What’s more, UFC’s Joe Rogan shares some of those!

Despite his long-time association with and love for the UFC, Joe Rogan is still a fan of ONE Championship and the fights they put on! In a recent conversation with Hollywood star, Russell Crowe, Rogan highlighted how the rise of ONE has affected options for fighters around the world. Crowe, known for his roles in movies like ‘Gladiator’, ‘A Beautiful Mind’ and more also confessed that he’s got a project in the works that will feature mixed martial arts and it wouldn’t have been possible without the help of Chatri Sityodtong.

Joe Rogan heaps praise upon ONE Championship as Russell Crowe reveals upcoming MMA project  

During his appearance on the JRE (Joe Rogan Experience) episode no. 2191, Russell Crowe and Joe Rogan talked about their love of combat sports, and the discussion touched upon ONE championship’s rise and popularity. When Crowe asked Rogan about his thoughts on the Asian promotion, Rogan responded by stating, “It’s great. Yeah, look, I like all of these organizations.”

Noting that ONE Championship has become a colossal player in the combat sports arena, the podcast host further stated, “I’m happy that there’s more options for fighters but ONE championship is huge.” The organization had hit an evaluation of over $1 billion in October 2018 and has since shown no signs of slowing down.

Crowe also mentioned that he recently watched a documentary on Chatri Sityodtong and he was captivated by his motivations behind setting up ONE championship. “I got a project that we’re going to do at the end of this year, it’s called ‘The Beast In Me’ and it’s about that sort of mixed martial arts fighting. And he’s come forward as a potential sort of partner and what have you and he would… hooking up with him will give the film great production values because we’ll be able to shoot at one of his fights and stuff. ”

The Hollywood star also shared that a scene where a roaring crowd of 15,000 provides a backdrop wouldn’t be possible without Sityodtong’s help and it’s something that no studio could replicate. Joe Rogan himself had received an invite to collaborate with ONE Championship in the past directly from the man in charge!

Joe Rogan had received a tempting offer to “commentate in the No. 1 league ” by Chatri Sityodtong  

Fans of the JRE will be familiar with Joe Rogan’s prowess with his kicks and his fascination with the striking art of Muay Thai. In the past, Rogan has also mentioned that he’s asked UFC boss Dana White to start putting on kickboxing fights as well under the “UFC Muay Thai” banner!

As such, during a press conference after ONE Fight Night 14 last year, Chatri Sityodtong had called out Rogan by stating, “Joe, you and I know each other — come on anytime, man. If you want to commentate in the No. 1 league by far in Muay Thai, absolute killers and monsters, which you know already Joe, give me a call.”

Founded in 2011 by Chatri Sityodtong, ONE has become one of the biggest names in the world of combat sports and is considered to be Asia’s premier martial arts promotion. While initially focused on just MMA, ONE has grown to include Muay Thai, Kickboxing, and submission grappling fights.

Sityodtong’s public invitation to Rogan to join ONE’s commentary team showed the mutual respect between the two giants in the industry. As ONE continues to grow, Rogan’s support when talking to Russell Crowe suggests that he values the expansion of martial arts beyond any single organization. His willingness to embrace ONE’s success, despite his UFC roots, speaks volumes.

It’s a recognition that in the world of combat sports, there’s room for more than one giant, and ONE Championship is proving to be a titan in its own right! What do you think about ONE Championship and the fights they offer compared to the UFC? Let us know in the comments below!