ONE Championship has terminated three key executives from their leadership team: Vice President and former UFC fighter Rich Franklin, Senior Vice President of Competition Matt Hume, and Chief Operating Officer John Sehler. The dismissals come amid ongoing financial difficulties and event cancellations for the promotion. The report suggests ONE Championship's ability to continue functioning as one of the world's leading MMA promotions may be limited. The organization is experiencing fighter departures, reduced activity among remaining fighters, key staff layoffs, and cancellations of major fights and events.
ONE Championship has parted ways with three prominent members of its executive leadership team, a move that underscores the depth of the financial difficulties now facing the Singapore-based promotion.
Among those let go is Rich Franklin, the former UFC middleweight champion who had served as Vice President of the organization. Franklin, 51, is a decorated combat sports veteran with a professional record of 29-7-0. The American southpaw stood six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach during his fighting career, and was regarded as one of the sport's most consistent performers, averaging 4.1 significant strikes landed per minute and converting takedowns at a rate of 1.31 per 15 minutes. He transitioned into an executive role at ONE Championship following his retirement from competition.
Also dismissed were Matt Hume, Senior Vice President of Competition, and John Sehler, who held the position of Chief Operating Officer. Hume is a widely respected figure in MMA, known for his decades of work as both a coach and a referee. The removal of all three in apparent quick succession points to significant organizational restructuring within the promotion.
Why it matters
- The departures of senior operations and competition executives raise serious questions about ONE Championship's ability to maintain its event schedule.
- Fighter departures and reduced activity among the promotion's roster suggest the instability extends well beyond the front office.
- The cancellation of major fights and events compounds the uncertainty facing both talent and broadcast partners tied to the promotion.
Reports indicate that ONE Championship's position as one of the world's leading MMA organizations may be increasingly difficult to sustain given the scale of these developments. The simultaneous loss of leadership across competition, operations, and athlete relations represents a significant disruption to the promotion's day-to-day functioning.
