On Living and Dying

On 29 August 2016, multiple-time Muay Thai World Champion Singthongnoi Potalakul from Evolve MMA, one of my other companies, was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer. I remember that moment like it was yesterday. I was in China for work when I received an urgent phone call the night before his diagnosis. The doctor had discovered a huge tumor and had to conduct an emergency biopsy. I flew back immediately to be there with him and his wife for the biopsy results and cancer diagnosis the following morning. There were lots of tears in the room when the doctor told us the results. Time stood still. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, and it broke my heart to see him and his wife receive the news. I was the one who translated everything in Thai to them. The prognosis was bleak.

It brings me great joy to announce today that Kru Noom has decided to return to do what he loves most in life. He survived an excruciatingly painful battle against cancer, chemotherapy, and radiation that would have broken most souls. He is 100% cancer free, and he now wants to live his dreams. He will be making his debut in ONE Championship on May 18 in Singapore for a Muay Thai fight with MMA gloves in ONE Super Series. One of the best parts of my job is that I am blessed with the precious opportunity to make dreams happen for good people like him. For his entire life, Kru Noom has had to battle poverty, adversity, and tragedy. Watch the video of his incredible life story below; it always brings tears to my eyes.

Thank you for serving as an inspiration to the world, Kru Noom! Once a warrior, always a warrior. I can’t wait to see you doing what you love most again. Let’s make some history together!

Chatri Sityodtong is a self-made entrepreneur and lifelong martial artist from Thailand. His rags-to-riches life story has inspired millions around the world on BBC News, CNN, Financial Times, Bloomberg TV, CNBC, Channel NewsAsia, and other major media. He is the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of ONE Championship, Asia's largest global sports media property in history with a global broadcast to over 1.7 billion potential viewers across 136 countries around the world. Forbes most recently selected Sityodtong as one of Asia's next generation tycoons. He was also named "Asia's King of Martial Arts" by the Financial Times and the “3rd Most Powerful Person in Sports in Asia” by FOX Sports. He is an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at INSEAD, Europe's top business school. Sityodtong holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA from Tufts University.