ONE Championship chairman Chatri Sityodtong has retracted comments criticising Kaito Ono after the Japanese kickboxing star demanded an apology.
Kaito was set to make his promotional debut at ONE 172 last Sunday, but pulled out on the eve of the event after opponent Marat Grigorian missed weight by three quarters of a pound.
During a fiery response at the post-event press conference backstage at Saitama Super Arena, Chatri insisted Kaito was “scared” and “ran away” after declining a catchweight bout with former ONE featherweight title challenger Grigorian, and that he “didn’t deserve to be paid”.
“Like all the fans and officials, I was looking forward to the bout between Marat Grigorian and Kaito,” an official statement from Chatri read on the Japanese version of ONE’s website, however.
“Grigorian passed the hydration test after the time limit, which put him 350 grams overweight. At this point, Grigorian was penalised by having 20 per cent of his fight purse forfeited and given to Kaito.
“When a fighter is less than one pound overweight, the standard response in the world’s major mixed martial arts organisations is to negotiate a bout at a catchweight.
“Naturally I was disappointed when Kaito declined the bout. However, as the CEO of ONE Championship, it was inappropriate for me to express such feelings in a press conference.
“I sincerely apologise and formally retract my comments regarding Kaito’s lack of courage. Kaito is a highly respected champion in Japan.”
Kaito – a champion in local Japanese promotions Shoot Boxing and Knock Out – had bristled on social media after hearing Chatri’s harsh words from the press conference.
“Is this guy serious? It was [Grigorian] who didn’t come to the weigh in and ran away. I didn’t run away even a millimetre,” Kaito wrote in a post.
“It can’t be helped that he can’t lose weight or adjust. The opponent’s reaction, and the organisation’s, was too bad. He was in no condition to fight.
“What are you saying? You haven’t done anything properly since before the fight. I have been holding back a lot.”
Kaito also criticised Chatri for “making fun of other organisations” in his comments at the press conference, when he said Kaito should “fight in the smaller promotion”.
“The way we have been treated this time, we have never experienced in any other organisation,” Kaito added. “They were all organisations that were serious and proper. I am proud of the organisations I have fought in.
“What are you talking about? There is no organisation to be ridiculed. They are more professional than ONE.
“A group that has [fighters who miss weight and] who can’t keep a contract is not professional. Apologise right now and take back your statements.”
