ONE Championship has dismissed three major 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. These terminations come amid ongoing financial difficulties and event cancellations for the promotion. The post suggests this trend indicates ONE Championship may not continue functioning much longer as one of the world's leading MMA promotions. 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 leadership team, a development that deepens concerns about the long-term stability of the Singapore-based promotion.
The executives let go are Rich Franklin, vice president and former UFC middleweight champion; Matt Hume, senior vice president of competition; and John Sehler, chief operating officer. The dismissals arrive against a backdrop of mounting financial difficulties, event cancellations, and a broader pattern of fighter departures and reduced activity across the roster.
Franklin, 51, brought significant credibility to ONE Championship's front office when he transitioned from the cage to the boardroom. The American fought out of Team Extreme and compiled a professional record of 29-7-0 during a career that made him one of the most recognizable middleweights of his era. Standing six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach, Franklin was a high-output striker who averaged 4.1 significant strikes per minute at 44 percent accuracy, while also contributing on the mat with 1.31 takedowns per 15 minutes.
Hume, a widely respected figure in fighter development and matchmaking, had been central to ONE Championship's competitive operations. Sehler's departure as COO removes another pillar of the organization's day-to-day management structure.
Why it matters
- The simultaneous loss of three senior executives signals significant organizational instability at one of MMA's largest global promotions.
- Event cancellations and fighter departures, combined with these layoffs, raise questions about ONE Championship's ability to maintain its standing as a top-tier organization.
- The removal of Hume from competition operations could affect matchmaking continuity and fighter relations at a particularly vulnerable moment for the promotion.
