“The Tormentor” Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu authored one of the greatest chapters in Mongolian combat sports history during his last outing in ONE Championship. Now, he is fully prepared to write another monumental entry in the main event of The Inner Circle 24 on Friday, July 31.
The reigning ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion defends his 26 pounds of gold against undefeated Azerbaijani-Russian standout Elbek Alyshov inside Bangkok’s legendary Lumpinee Stadium. The highly anticipated Asia primetime card will be exclusively available to subscribers at live.onefc.com.
The Team Tungaa and Shandas MMA representative’s star power has reached unprecedented heights following his spectacular capture of the crown from Fabricio “Wonder Boy” Andrade via fourth-round submission at ONE Fight Night 38 last December.
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Leading up to his maiden clash for gold, Baatarkhuu played a pivotal role in helping his nation reach the finale of Netflix’s hit reality competition series Physical: Asia. Shortly after capturing the belt, “The Tormentor” shared a profound moment with the President of Mongolia, Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, in the Government Palace, who formally congratulated the champion for putting the country on the global martial arts map.
However, none of that newfound fame has clouded his razor-sharp focus heading into his first title defense. The 37-year-old — who became only the second Mongolian to achieve World Title glory in ONE after his current head coach and former featherweight MMA titleholder, Narantungalag “Tungaa” Jadambaa — refuses to simply assume he will walk away from the grueling fight with the gold still around his waist.
Baatarkhuu told onefc.com:
“Regardless of what will happen in the fight this time, life will go on. If I win, then I will have to defend the belt again in the future. If I lose, then I will fight hard to get it back again. This is how it is.”
That grounded, veteran outlook does not mean he is taking Alyshov lightly. The unbeaten Azerbaijani-Russian enters the bout riding the momentum of back-to-back submission victories over Carlo “The Bull” Bumina-ang and Jeremy “The Juggernaut” Pacatiw — two dangerous names Baatarkhuu is intimately familiar with.
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Where the Mongolian king needed until the third round to finish Bumina-ang and went the full distance against Pacatiw, Alyshov dispatched both men much more dominantly, a terrifying testament to his world-class judo skills.
“The Tormentor” does not shy away from crediting his opponent’s elite grappling pedigree.
He pointed out:
“He is a good opponent for me. He’s a very strong and skillful grappler who is really good at finishing his opponents when he has his submission locked in. He’s probably a better wrestler than me, but it’s too early to say.
“The only way to truly say it is on fight day in the ring. I agree that he is a stronger opponent for me this time. Anyways, I’m the champion, and I’m going to defend my belt.”
That same meticulous homework, however, has also given Baatarkhuu a much clearer picture of exactly where he can find tactical success once the two men collide at The Inner Circle 24.
Decades of elite competitive experience have taught the veteran to spot stylistic patterns quickly, and he firmly believes this specific matchup plays directly into his hands. There is absolutely no hesitation in how he frames his chances once the opening bell rings.
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The reigning ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion added:
“Although I said that he’s a strong opponent, I’m confident that I will get the victory. His fighting style is quite similar to mine. So it will be kind of easy for me to deal with.
“My mentality is more toward winning this fight. I think I have a better chance at winning than he does.”
Fire In The Ring, However Long It Lasts
Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu is certainly not shy about breaking down exactly how he expects this high-stakes title fight to unfold.
Ask him for a prediction, and one definitive word comes up before anything else: finish. But even with that destructive intent firmly locked in, the bantamweight MMA king is not naive about the immense danger standing across the ring from him.
He continued:
“It’s hard to predict, but of course, I am going after the finish. He’s a strong opponent. It’s going to be fire in the ring.
“Everyone has a fighting strategy, but once you step into the ring, sometimes things turn the other way. I also think he has a secret weapon against me, so I’m expecting a tough fight.”
Should he fall short of acquiring the tenth highlight-reel triumph of his illustrious career, Baatarkhuu is fully prepared to grind through a grueling 25-minute World Championship battle.
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Preparing for five-round wars is absolutely nothing new to the hardened veteran, and he intrinsically knows Alyshov will have studied his offensive tendencies just as thoroughly as he has studied the challenger’s.
The 37-year-old shared:
“I do believe that he did some good research on my fighting style. We’ve also both fought five-round fights before, so I am [also] preparing for a tough five-round fight.
“I’m pretty sure he will come in at his best. I’ll deal with it in the ring.”
