RIZIN CEO Nobuyuki Sakakibara lately shared his ideas on ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong throughout a press convention for RIZIN’s upcoming occasion, scheduled for Might 4 at Tokyo Dome. The dialogue centered round Sityodtong’s latest feedback about Shoot Boxing champion Kaito Ono, which have sparked controversy within the martial arts neighborhood, notably in Japan.
RIZIN’s Nobuyuki Sakakibara Slams Chatri Sityodtong Over Etiquette
Sakakibara emphasised the significance of respecting Japan’s martial arts organizations if one needs to conduct enterprise within the nation. He famous that whereas Sityodtong has apologized, it’s essential for promoters to respect the native martial arts neighborhood and enterprise etiquette, whatever the measurement of the group.
Nobuyuki Sakakibara stated:
“An apology has been made, hasn’t it? So I believe the scenario has shifted a bit. Nonetheless, if you wish to come to Japan and do enterprise within the Japanese martial arts world, you will need to correctly respect Japan’s martial arts organizations. Whether or not they’re small or giant doesn’t matter. It’s essential to perceive that there’s Chairman Takeshi Caesar, there may be Shoot Boxing (SB), and these are related to the place we are actually. With out that understanding, I don’t assume you qualify as a promoter to do enterprise on this nation.”
“If you wish to apologize, you need to step ahead and do it within the Japanese manner … In case you declare to be half-Japanese, you need to find out about Japanese etiquette, manners, and how one can behave in the direction of seniors, not simply as a promoter, however as a human being. If you wish to do enterprise in Japan, that’s an important factor. Different emotional points are already being addressed with apologies, and it’ll result in higher rule-making.”
For context, Chairman Caesar is the chief of Shoot Boxing. The Japanese fight sports activities organizations all work collectively in collaborative initiatives. As a substitute of seeing one another as competitors, they see themselves as a part of the identical ecosystem. Rizin, RISE, Ok-1, Shoot Boxing, and others incessantly work with one another. Rizin has collaborated with Bellator prior to now and even works with the UFC.
The difficulty started when Kaito Ono declined a catchweight battle in opposition to Marat Grigorian at ONE 172. Grigorian missed weight and was late to the weigh-in, main Ono to refuse the bout. Sityodtong publicly criticized Ono, suggesting he was afraid to battle and will compete in smaller promotions. This criticism was met with widespread disapproval, and Sityodtong later apologized for his remarks.
The incident has strained relations between ONE Championship and Shoot Boxing, which had agreed to a cross-promotion occasion in good religion. The controversy highlights the challenges Chatri has had sustaining respectful {and professional} dialogue amongst martial arts organizations.
The difficulty was not a lot the scenario itself however as an alternative, the disrespectful feedback made with an unprofessional tone in the direction of a enterprise accomplice. In skilled conditions, it’s key to speak respectfully with stakeholders.
Nobuyuki Sakakibara is a famous Japanese businessman and MMA promoter, greatest recognized for his pivotal position in shaping Japan’s martial arts panorama. He co-founded Delight Preventing Championships in 1997, which grew to become a number one MMA promotion till its sale in 2007. After a hiatus, Sakakibara launched Rizin Preventing Federation in 2015, aiming to revive Japan’s MMA scene. Rizin has been largely profitable in Japan routinely promoting out Saitama Tremendous Enviornment and returning to the Tokyo Dome with completely different occasions.
