The Transformative Power of Suffering

Chatri Sityodtong (@yodchatri) is the founder and CEO of ONE Championship, one of the top-10 biggest sports-media properties in the world in terms of viewership and engagement (alongside the NBA, Formula One, Champions League, and Premier League), with a global broadcast reach to 195 countries. 

Sponsors:

AG1 all-in-one nutritional supplement: DrinkAG1.com/Tim (1-year supply of Vitamin D (and 5 free AG1 travel packs) with your first subscription purchase.)

Helix Sleep premium mattresses: https://HelixSleep.com/Tim (20% off on all mattress orders)

Wealthfront high-yield cash account: https://Wealthfront.com/Tim (Start earning 4.00% APY on your short-term cash until you’re ready to invest. And when new clients open an account today, you can get an extra fifty-dollar bonus with a deposit of five hundred dollars or more.) Terms apply. Tim Ferriss receives cash compensation from Wealthfront Brokerage, LLC for advertising and holds a non-controlling equity interest in the corporate parent of Wealthfront Brokerage. See full disclosures here.

Timestamps:

[00:00:00] Start.

[00:06:49] Chatri Trisiripisal vs. Yodchatri Sityodtong

[00:08:35] My own experience with Muay Thai.

[00:10:05] Chatri’s introduction to Muay Thai.

[00:10:58] Chatri processes the strained relationship with his father.

[00:17:28] Fight Porn and my introduction to ONE.

[00:18:56] A pep talk in Japanese.

[00:23:00] Chatri’s secret life in a Harvard dorm with his mother on $4 a day.

[00:30:11] How Chatri made the money to fuel his martial arts ambitions.

[00:35:19] Why wealth has never provided Chatri with a sense of security.

[00:38:43] The moment Chatri began to fulfill one his mother’s prophecies.

[00:41:08] “To unleash your greatness, you must be surrounded by greatness.”

[00:44:56] Witnessing Yamato-damashii: the Japanese warrior spirit.

[00:48:43] Moving to Singapore and starting Evolve.

[00:51:59] Overcoming ONE’s initial financial challenges.

[01:03:06] Building ONE with Bushido-grade excellence.

[01:08:25] How ONE maintains quality and quantity fights and fighters.

[01:16:05] Leveraging social media to bring compelling human stories to ONE’s forefront.

[01:26:40] Chatri’s $100 million breakfast with Sequoia Capital.

[01:41:42] Making deals with CAA’s Fabian Stechel.

[01:45:13] A serendipitous meeting that resulted in investment from Qatar.

[01:47:51] Changing lives and building relationships across generations with martial arts.

[01:51:35] Recommended reading and admirable storytellers.

[02:01:03] A gracious invitation.

[02:02:39] Where in the world is ONE enjoyed most?

[02:07:14] Dealing with AI development and deep fakes.

[02:08:45] Global broadcasting business from behind the scenes.

[02:16:31] Funds raised and the competitive benefits of being early in the game.

[02:19:30] Fond regards for Renzo Gracie.

[02:23:49] Legendary fighters we would love to witness in their prime.

[02:26:27] High marks for Marcelo Garcia.

[02:29:23] How I learned what Chatri calls “flawless” Japanese.

[02:31:16] Chatri’s billboard and parting thoughts.

*

For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast.

For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsors

Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday.

For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.

Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.

Follow Tim:

Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss 

Instagram: instagram.com/timferriss

YouTube: youtube.com/timferriss

Facebook: facebook.com/timferriss 

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferriss

Past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, Margaret Atwood, Mark Zuckerberg, Peter Thiel, Dr. Gabor Maté, Anne Lamott, Sarah Silverman, Dr. Andrew Huberman, and many more.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.