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31st August 2023 · Articles & Interviews by: Vikas Shah MBE

Chatri Sityodtong is the Founder and CEO of ONE, Asia’s largest global sports media platform with a worldwide broadcast to over 190 countries. According to Nielsen, ONE ranks amongst the world’s top 5 biggest sports media properties (alongside NBA, F1, Champions League, EPL, etc) in terms of viewership and engagement. Through its marquee sports properties (ONE Championship and ONE Esports) and its passionate millennial community, ONE is a celebration of Asia’s greatest cultural phenomena, Martial Arts and Gaming, and the deep-rooted Asian values of integrity, humility, honor, respect, courage, discipline, and compassion. Sityodtong is a self-made entrepreneur and lifelong martial artist from Thailand. He is also the latest star of The Apprentice, the award-winning, global reality TV show on Netflix. His rags-to-riches life story has inspired millions around the world on BBC, CNN, Bloomberg, CNBC, and other major media. Sityodtong has over 35+ years of martial arts experience. He is a certified senior Muay Thai instructor under the legendary Kru Yodtong Senanan. He also holds a Brown Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Master Renzo Gracie. In this interview, I speak to Chatri Sityodtong. Chatri is the self-made entrepreneur & martial artist who founded ONE, Asia’s largest global sports media platform, home to ONE Championship and ONE Esports. We talk about the role martial arts played in his entrepreneurship journey, and how he’s built some of the world’s most powerful sports brands.   

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31-08-2023 13:57:33
Thought Economics

12th October 2022 · Articles & Interviews by: Vikas Shah MBE

Francis Ngannou is a remarkable individual. He is currently the heavyweight champion of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), and is ranked as having the hardest punch in the world. Francis Ngannou was born in the village of Batié (Cameroon), and grew up with very little: no home, no formal education, and no support. What he lacked in support, he made up for with his enormous dreams. He eluded the demands of local gangs, began working in salt mines as a child, and set his sights on a life outside of the town that was determined to retain him. Francis began boxing training at 22, and at the age of 26 took an arduous journey to France to pursue his professional career. Upon reaching Europe, he was jailed for two months in Spain for illegally crossing the border. When he reached Paris, with no money, friends, or home, he became homeless. Francis met fighter Francis Carmot who introduced him to trainer Fernand Lopez and MMA Factory. Lopez gave Ngannou some MMA gear, allowed him to train and sleep at the gym, and with that his career began. Today, alongside his fighting success, Francis operates a foundation in his name which extends his providence to his hometown. In this interview, I speak to Francis Ngannou, heavyweight champion of the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship). We discuss the power of combat sports, the reality of pain, of resilience, of failure and success.

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12-10-2022 18:17:16
Thought Economics

16th December 2021 · Articles & Interviews by: Vikas Shah MBE

Michael Bisping is a UFC Hall of Fame fighter, former Middleweight Champion of the World, an actor, television presenter and Sunday Times & Amazon Best Selling Author. Bisping’s legendary 29-fight career with the UFC saw him headline sold out shows across seven countries and become the first British born World Champion. He remains one of the most popular personalities in the sport, serving as an influential commentator, ESPN analyst and podcaster. In this interview, I speak to Michael Bisping about his life in martial arts, competing to win, and how we can all adopt a warrior mindset.

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16-12-2021 15:51:23
Thought Economics

4th May 2020 · Articles & Interviews by: Vikas Shah MBE

“I earn my living from coaching people how to fight….” Writes John Kavanagh in the opening of his book Win or Learn.  He continues “…it may come as a surprise, therefore, to learn that until I was in my early twenties, I was terrified of fighting. I hated arguing, shouting, violence – all forms of conflict, basically. That’s not unusual, of course, but to be honest, I was a bit of a wimp…” Employing the motto ‘win or learn’, Kavanagh has become a guru to young men and women seeking to master the arts of combat. His gyms have become a magnet for talented fighters from all over the globe who want to learn from the man who coached fighters including Conor McGregor, Makwan Amirkhani, and Gunnar Nelson. In this exclusive interview, I spoke to Coach Kavanagh to learn what it takes to win, and what we can all learn from his experiences training some of the world’s top fighters.

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08-05-2020 14:15:15
Thought Economics

22nd April 2020 · Articles & Interviews by: Vikas Shah MBE

Few individuals have had as much of an impact on modern boxing as Frank Warren. In a career spanning over 35 years, Frank has worked with some of the biggest fighters in boxing history – Hamed, Bruno, Tyson, Calzaghe, Benn, Collins, Eubank, Khan and Hatton. Warren and his son own and run Queensberry Promotions, he is also founder of the British boxing television channel BoxNation and was inducted into the international boxing hall of fame in 2008. In this exclusive interview, I spoke to Frank about his life in boxing, what it takes to be a great fighter, and how boxing can impact the community, and our lives.

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22-04-2020 10:25:22
Thought Economics

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