ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong recently had the opportunity to sit down for a brief meeting with President Barack Obama, the former President of the United States.

Sityodtong discussed his meeting with Obama, which centered around business in Asia, in a recent post to his official Facebook page.

“Last week, I was invited to sit down with President Barack Obama for a private meeting in his hotel suite with a few other CEOs for approximately an hour to discuss business in Asia,” the ONE Championship boss wrote. “I was surprised that President Obama had done his homework ahead of the meeting. As he shook my hand when we first met, he announced to everyone in the room that I was a martial arts expert, and that everyone should not mess with me. We all had a good laugh.

“Without a doubt, President Obama possesses an extraordinary presence, a rare charisma, and a sharp intellect. His questions were thoughtful and his comments insightful. Equally important, he always looked everyone straight in the eye and gave his full unwavering attention. He was gracious, humble, and kind. I learned a lot about leadership that day just by observing how he treated all of us. Not only is he one of the greatest US presidents in history, but President Obama is a real gentleman with a heart of gold.

“As a big sports fan and basketball player himself, President Obama could immediately appreciate the important role that ONE Championship has in shaping culture, values, and society for the next generation around the world. I explained how ONE Championship is a celebration of Asia’s greatest cultural treasure, and its deep-rooted values of integrity, humility, honor, respect, courage, discipline, and compassion.

“Through the power of storytelling and the magic of our heroes, ONE Championship ignites hope, celebrates values, creates dreams, inspires nations, and changes the world.”

This is not the first time the worlds of MMA and politics have collided of late. US President Donald Trump has recently been cozying up with UFC welterweight contender Colby Covington, while lightweight contender Kevin Lee recently spoke at a Bernie Sanders rally in Las Vegas.

What do you think of this meeting between President Barack Obama and ONE Championship boss Chatri Sityodtong?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 12/26/2019.