ONE Championship
KEY POINTS
- Chatri Sityodtong has opened up on possibly having a cage inside the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium
- The Lumpinee Boxing Stadium is considered Muay Thai’s most revered place
- It remains to be seen whether the Thai government will agree to the request
ONE Championship has continued to grow its resume as one of the premier homes of combat sports all over the world and not only is the promotion hoping to expand its reach, but to also do something that has never happened before–at least in one stadium in Thailand.
In a now-publicly unavailable Facebook Live question-and-answer session done with fans, ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong revealed that big things are coming at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.
“Next year, there will be cage events at Lumpinee Stadium. It will only be for the biggest events. Currently, ONE is discussing this with the Thai government,” Chatri explained.
As to why this is such a big deal for both combat sports fans and sports historians, it should be noted that the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium is recognized around the world as the Mecca of Muay Thai.
Built in 1956 and opened on December 8 of the same year, Lumpinee Boxing Stadium has seen the who’s who of Muay Thai fighters grace its halls such as John Wayne Parr, Sagat Petchyindee, Jimmy Vienot, Yodsanklai Fairtex, Buakaw Banchamek and Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong.
Moreover, young Muay Thai stars such as Rodtang Jitmuangnon, Tawanchai PK.Saenchai, Superbon Singha Mawynn and even Regian Eersel have had some great showings at the venue.
ONE Championship announced in September of last year that they were going to have more events at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium moving forward and even instituted ONE Friday Fights as the promotion hopes to further give Muay Thai a place to shine on the international scene.
To date, the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium has hosted 20 ONE Friday Fights while also having a handful of main-card events happening.
It has not only seen Muay Thai bout but also kickboxing, submission grappling and mixed martial arts (MMA).
Because of the building’s association with Muay Thai, having bouts contested inside a cage instead of the traditional ring might spark some backlash from both the Thai people and fans of the sport since the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium is highly revered in combat sports circles.
On the other hand, seeing a cage inside Muay Thai’s most sacred ground is going to be a sight to behold–again because of historical implications.
While Chatri did point out that their pitch to the Thai government will have only the “biggest events” be contested inside a cage at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, it remains to be seen whether they will allow the organization to introduce a cage.
Chatri Sityodtong/Facebook
