Russian Muay Thai fighter Dmitry Menshikov has publicly voiced his frustrations with ONE Championship, culminating in legal action and his decision to leave the organization. The 27-year-old lightweight contender, who holds a 4-1 record in ONE with all victories by knockout, has served a legal notice to the promotion citing an alleged breach of contract. Following his most recent win, Menshikov explains his side.
Dmitry Menshikov Leaving ONE Championship
Dmitry Menshikov’s discontent stems from a lack of fight opportunities in 2024, during which he claims ONE only offered him a single bout despite promises of a more active schedule. This inactivity led to financial strain and prompted his legal team to conclude that ONE had failed to fulfill its contractual obligations.
On February 16, 2025, Menshikov competed in what is likely his final bout with ONE Championship at ONE Friday Fights 97. He secured a first-round knockout victory over Thai fighter Tengnueng. However, the aftermath of the fight has only intensified tensions between Menshikov and the organization.
In a statement following the bout, Dmitry Menshikov expressed his disappointment:
“I won by KO again but they didn’t give me a post-fight interview, so I’ll share my thoughts here. Recently I had some negative things to say about ONE and announced I will be departing the organization. Some people may say this is why I didn’t get a bonus this time.
“Maybe that’s true, but you’d hope bonuses would be awarded purely for performance reasons and not be infected by such sentiments. When you see that they also deleted my highlights and denied me a post-fight interview, clearly there are some hard feelings at play. I’ve had five fights with ONE, winning four by knockout, but never received a bonus — including this time.
“It’s weird because they’ve given bonuses to other Russians, so clearly it’s not a political thing. Anyway, this confirms that ONE isn’t the right organization for me, and I stand by my decision to leave. And I expect to see many more fighters make the decision to leave ONE this year as well.“
Dmitry Menshikov further alleged that ONE denied him a post-fight interview and removed his fight highlights from social media after fans showed support for him in the comments section. His manager, Andrey Busygin, emphasized that signing an athlete to an exclusive contract implies regular competition, which was not provided in this case. Menshikov’s departure from ONE Championship marks the latest in a series of fighter exits and public complaints, raising questions about the organization’s relationship with its athletes.
