ONE Championship has dismissed three major 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 Sheeler. The layoffs come amid ongoing financial difficulties and tournament cancellations for the promotion. The post suggests ONE Championship's viability as a leading global MMA promotion is in serious doubt. Fighters are leaving the organization, those who remain are fighting infrequently, and major fights and events are being canceled.
ONE Championship has parted ways with three senior executives — vice president and former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin, senior vice president of competition Matt Hume, and chief operating officer John Sheeler — in a round of layoffs that signals deepening financial strain at the Singapore-based promotion.
Franklin, 51, brings considerable credibility to any organization he represents. The American southpaw compiled a 29-7-0 professional record across a career that saw him average 4.1 significant strikes per minute with 44 percent striking accuracy. Standing six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach, the Team Extreme veteran was a recognizable face for ONE Championship in its efforts to build a global audience. His departure, alongside Hume and Sheeler, removes a substantial portion of the promotion's experienced leadership in a single move.
Why it matters
- ONE Championship has now lost its vice president, senior vice president of competition, and chief operating officer simultaneously, hollowing out its executive structure at a critical moment.
- The promotion was already under pressure, with tournament cancellations and fighters competing infrequently raising questions about operational stability.
- Fighters are reportedly leaving the roster, compounding concerns that ONE Championship may struggle to maintain its position as a top-tier global MMA organization.
- The loss of Matt Hume, a widely respected matchmaker and coach, is particularly significant for the competitive integrity and credibility of the promotion's match-making process.
The cumulative picture — executive departures, event cancellations, roster attrition, and financial difficulty — raises serious questions about the long-term viability of ONE Championship as a leading force in mixed martial arts.
