ONE Championship has made significant leadership changes, reportedly parting ways with Vice President Rich Franklin, Senior Vice President of Competition Matt Hume, and Chief Operating Officer John Scheler. These departures represent a major restructuring at the top of the organization, coming in the wake of reported financial difficulties, event cancellations, and internal reorganizations.
Key Figures Depart ONE Championship
Rich Franklin, a former UFC Middleweight Champion, joined ONE Championship in May 2014 as Vice President. He played a crucial role in the promotion’s expansion into the United States, working with sports commissions to gain approval for ONE’s unique ruleset. Franklin also headed the ONE Warrior Series, a talent scouting program that helped launch fighters like Stamp Fairtex onto the main roster. He was actively involved in discussions about planned U.S. events and growing the promotion’s American presence as recently as early 2025.
Matt Hume, who has been with ONE Championship since its inception, initially served as its Chief Official and head referee before transitioning to an executive role in 2012 as Vice President of Operations and Competition. His responsibilities encompassed matchmaking, talent recruitment, and overseeing the promotion’s rules and regulations. Hume had a prior connection to Franklin, having trained him during Franklin’s fighting career. Hume’s tenure, spanning over 13 years, made him one of the longest-serving executives at ONE.
John Scheler joined ONE in July 2020 as Senior Vice President of Events and Production Development, later being promoted to Chief Operating Officer in March 2022. Prior to his role at ONE, Scheler held senior strategy and operations positions at the XFL and WWE, and served as a Marine Corps captain.
Financial Struggles and Strategic Shifts
ONE Championship has been contending with significant financial challenges, reporting a record consolidated loss of $90 million in 2023 and cumulative deficits exceeding $530 million since its founding in 2011. Recent financial disclosures indicated that while some progress was made on paper, a substantial portion of broadcast revenue was non-cash, leaving actual cash revenue for FY2024 at an estimated $19.5 million, barely covering operational expenses. The company held only $16 million in cash at the end of 2024.
These departures follow previous rounds of layoffs. In October 2024, “a few dozen” employees were let go across various departments as part of a strategy to achieve profitability. ONE Esports, the company’s gaming division, also significantly reduced its staff in early 2025.
On the events front, the promotion cancelled its planned return to Denver, with the August 2026 event being removed from the website. The women’s strawweight MMA division was also reportedly closed, with champion Xiong Jingnan released. ONE had only held two U.S. events since its American debut in 2023, and its broadcast deal with Amazon Prime Video for the U.S. market was not renewed beyond 2025.
These recent exits are consistent with a pattern of high-level departures observed over the past few years. The company also relocated its global production hub from Singapore to Bangkok in mid-2025 to centralize operations and reduce costs. Strained fighter relations have also been noted, with former champions publicly requesting release from their contracts and one fighter initiating legal action for breach of contract.
Despite these changes, Franklin had expressed strong enthusiasm for ONE’s U.S. ambitions through early 2025, viewing his work in getting the promotion’s ruleset approved in the U.S. as a source of pride. None of the departing executives have yet made public statements regarding their exits.
