“First of all we’re bigger,” Chatri said at a post-event media scrum, when asked about the comparison with the UFC. “Nielsen came out with the industry report eight or nine months ago, on the TV metrics and social and digital. We are bigger – there’s no question – in terms of viewership and engagement around the world.

“I’d love to see a UFC versus ONE, champion versus champion. I believe we would win our fair share. They would win some too. But I do believe we’re the better organisation.

“If you look at roster quality, what is an average athlete in ONE? He or she is a world champion in one discipline or more prior to joining, at the highest levels. The pedigree of these guys is just different level.

“The average athlete who gets signed by UFC is 8-0 in LFA, or 10-0, or did collegiate wrestling for four years and maybe does Muay Thai for three years. Here you’ve got the best of the best of every discipline.

“You get the Ruotolo brothers, Mikey Musumeci, Buchecha in grappling – truly the pound for pound greatest. You get striking at the highest levels – Panpayak, Superlek, Rodtang. Then you get mixed rules fights like Stamp fairies versus Anissa Meksen, the pound for pound greatest female striker on the planet.

“Giorgio Petrosyan or Superbon in kickboxing. Demetrious Johnson in mixed martial arts. Anatoly Malykhin will beat any heavyweight worldwide. National champion of wrestling in Russia, amateur MMA champion, one punch KO power in boxing. Name one other heavyweight that is 12-0 with a 90 per cent finish rate.

“Reinier de Ridder, if he recovers 100 per cent and is mentally still there in terms of his confidence, he is the best middleweight on the planet. He would strangle the hell out of Alex Pereira, he would strangle the hell out of Israel Adesanya, first round. These guys don’t have wrestling or grappling.”

ONE: Chatri says RDR suffered ‘kind of KO that changes fighters’

Chatri also said that he felt a co-promoted card between the two organisations would be “the biggest martial arts event in history, full stop”.

“East versus West, the whole shebang. But I think we’re both global giants,” he added.

“But lastly ask your athletes who’s happier? Which roster has a great relationship with their boss? I understand them. On one side the other boss has never stepped in the ring or a martial arts school.

“I understand martial arts at the highest levels, I have empathy and compassion. I love our athletes, and all that comes out. That’s what Jarred is talking about. He’s not the first guy to say ONE Championship treats its athletes so well. So yes, I feel jarred is right.”

The year started in frustrating fashion for ONE, with the promotion still confined to Singapore until heading back to Kuala Lumpur in October, and the Philippines this week.

Aside from returning to full crowds, and getting back on the road, 2022 has also seen ONE sign several major broadcast deals with Amazon Prime Video in the US and Canada, Globo in Brazil and Latin America, and BeIn Sports in the Middle East.

“The year started off still halfway Covid. Asia hadn’t really come out until September or October, so the first nine months … Japan just began opening, China hasn’t still, Thailand just began, even the Philippines a few weeks ago.

“So it hasn’t been a full year in terms of our ability to throw events and put the pedal to the metal. But if you look at what we’ve achieved on business side of things … you go country by country, we’re with the biggest and most prestigious broadcasters now.

“It’s very clear what is happening. The world is so big. There’s Apple and there’s Samsung. There’s GM and there’s Toyota. There’s ONE and there’s UFC.”

With 2022 in the rear-view mirror for the organisation, ONE is now set for its biggest year yet in terms of event numbers.

“It’s been a record year – record viewership numbers, record social media and digital metrics, record revenues, record capital raised,” Chatri said. “We will keep on growing and growing.

“Since I started the company over 10 years ago, I’ve never taken a 40-day trip where I spent only three days at home. I’m telling you, ONE Championship is on fire. I took a tour around Asia, the Middle East, Europe, North America – watch, there’s some big, big news coming out.

“In the next couple of weeks, we will be announcing our full slate of events for 2023. We may hold back some, but at a minimum we will announce 60, at the high end about 70 for next year. That will be the record, and by the way that will be the most number of events by any combat organisation, full stop.”