'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
ONE Championship founder and CEO, the legendary entrepreneur Chatri Sityodtong, recently had an interview with Brazilian MMA channel MMA Hoje. The Thai fight promoter was initially talking about his Muay Thai roots in his home country and how ONE Championship was eventually conceived.
He was, however, pleasantly interrupted by the arrival of jiu-jitsu legend and MMA pioneer, Renzo Gracie. If you're a die-hard MMA fan, then you know that the surname Gracie is considered royalty not just in the sport, but also in jiu-jitsu. They are the founding family of the martial art of Brazilian jiu-jitsu and without them, MMA would not have reached the mainstream popularity that it has today.
Trending
Renzo Gracie was pivotal in the introduction of BJJ to the rest of the world. He has fought in many MMA organizations, including Pride, UFC and ONE, promoting the Gracie banner. He was also the first master to award Sityodtong his colored belts in jiu-jitsu, after having the Thai train under him for a few years. On how he sees the Gracie legend, Sityodtong had this to say:
Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
"Renzo [Gracie] is literally my brother from another mother. But also I'll tell you, without Renzo, ONE Championship would not have been born. You just asked me right now, 'how was ONE born?' and all that. It's literally like, Renzo will give you the shirt off of his back...I love Renzo and I look up to him."
Sityodtong further elaborates on how Gracie influenced his drive to create ONE Championship and make it the largest martial arts organization in the world:
"He [Renzo Gracie] literally lights up the world. He travels all of the world doing favors out of the goodness of his heart. Everybody. Every martial artist. And he's touched our lives. And it's the reason why ONE has become the largest martial arts organization in the world is really from Renzo lighting the fire in me and telling me I can do it and that I represent real martial arts the right way with Jiu-jitsu and Muay Thai as my foundation."
Watch the full interview here:
"This guy has the soul that was born a Black Belt" - Renzo Gracie on ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong
After such words of praise from Chatri Sityodtong, Renzo Gracie returned the favor by singing ONE CEO's praises. In the interview, Sityodtong mentioned that when he had his first ONE Championship event, he was just a jiu-jitsu blue belt. To this, Gracie gave a heartfelt reply:
"The reality was Chatri [Sityodtong] was never [just] a Blue Belt. This guy has the soul that was born a Black Belt. A Red Belt, actually. I could see that from afar. The first time I visit him and I see how he worked and how professional and how much love [he had for] what he did."
It has been said before that a black belt is nothing but a white belt who never gave up. If this statement is true, then what Gracie is saying about Sityodtong couldn't be more real. The legendary entrepreneur exudes the aura of someone who doesn't simply lay down when things get tough. It was his never-say-die attitude in life and his remarkable work ethic that helped Sityodtong build ONE into a martial arts powerhouse that it is today.
