ONE Championship has dismissed three senior executives from its leadership team: vice president and former UFC fighter Rich Franklin, senior vice president of competition Matt Hume, and chief operating officer John Sheler. The firings come amid ongoing financial difficulties for the promotion, which has been canceling events and losing fighters. The post suggests that ONE's ability to continue functioning as one of the leading MMA promotions is in serious doubt. Fighters are leaving the organization, those who remain are rarely competing, key staff are being let go, and major fights and events are being canceled.
ONE Championship has parted ways with three senior members of its leadership team, the promotion confirmed, in what represents a significant shake-up at the top of the Singapore-based organization.
Among those dismissed is Rich Franklin, the former UFC middleweight champion who had been serving as a vice president with the company. Franklin, 51, retired from competition with a professional record of 29-7-0 and was one of the most recognizable names in MMA during his fighting career. The American, who stood six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach, built his reputation as a high-output striker, averaging 4.1 significant strikes landed per minute with 44 percent accuracy. He also showed well-rounded skills on the mat, averaging 1.31 takedowns per 15 minutes across his career.
Also let go were Matt Hume, who served as senior vice president of competition, and John Sheler, the promotion's chief operating officer. The departures of all three figures represent a substantial loss of institutional knowledge and leadership infrastructure at ONE Championship.
The firings come against a backdrop of serious financial turbulence for the organization. Events have been canceled, fighters have been departing, and those who remain on the roster have been seeing limited competitive activity. The cumulative effect has raised real questions about the promotion's ability to maintain its standing as one of the world's premier MMA organizations.
Why it matters
- The loss of Franklin, Hume, and Sheler strips ONE Championship of three experienced figures central to operations and fighter relations.
- Ongoing event cancellations and fighter departures compound the organizational instability created by the executive exits.
- ONE Championship's long-term viability as a top global promotion is now openly in question, with no clear public plan to address the financial difficulties driving these decisions.
