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Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu desires to comply with in his coach’s footsteps by reaching the highest of the blended martial arts world.
The rising star is skilled by former ONE Featherweight World Champion Narantungalag Jadambaa, and after successful the primary season of Highway to ONE: Mongolia and incomes a US$100,000 ONE Championship contract final month, it’s fairly clear that he’s heading in the right direction.
Baatarkhuu doesn’t anticipate the trail to be simple. In truth, he is aware of the actual work begins now. Nonetheless, along with his iconic countryman in his nook, the 34-year-old feels able to tackle any problem.
Forward of his promotional debut subsequent 12 months, study all about Baatarkhuu’s humble roots in western Mongolia and the unflinching assist that has led him to the world’s largest martial arts group.
A Mongolian Upbringing
Baatarkhuu was born in Khovd – the capital metropolis of the Khovd Province – on December 30, 1988. His mom was a nurse and his father was a truck driver, and he was raised along with his older brother and youthful sister.
The martial artist has fond recollections of his childhood, which was spent largely outside.
He mentioned:
“I grew up herding sheep and goats within the lovely panorama, using horses, fetching water from the river, and gathering dried cow dung as gas. Similar to some other Mongolian boy.
“I grew up very near my mom, my older brother, and my little sister. My father was a long-haul truck driver, so he was usually not at house due to his work.”
Baatarkhuu wasn’t a bookworm by any means, however he carried out effectively sufficient on his checks and cast stable relationships along with his classmates.
Additionally, the younger Mongolian by no means went in search of bother. In truth, he tried to keep away from it. Nonetheless, he refused to be anyone’s punching bag.
He mentioned:
“I wasn’t an excellent child academically. I used to be simply a median pupil. However I did get pleasure from geography, historical past, and P.E., and I obtained good grades.
“I wasn’t precisely the most well-liked child, however I had a number of associates. I needed to get together with individuals and by no means needed battle and violence. However I by no means backed down from a battle if completely essential.”
Fight In His DNA
Baatarkhuu was uncovered to fight sports activities organically in his youth. Throughout his childhood, he incessantly watched his favourite motion heroes on tv and sometimes engaged in unorganized grappling periods with the opposite youngsters in his neighborhood.
The Mongolian loved these actions a lot, he finally sought out formal wrestling coaching and regarded to grasp the martial artwork. However finally, it led him some place else.
Baatarkhuu mentioned:
“One of many every day actions for a traditional Mongolian boy is to wrestle, as we have now a preventing spirit in our blood. I appreciated wrestling and preventing and needed to be like my idols on TV – Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. I needed to appear to be them. I needed to be ripped.
“I joined the freestyle wrestling membership after I was within the fifth grade. However after solely two months, I made a decision to go away it and be a part of the taekwondo membership working towards subsequent door, as I used to be extra involved in kicking and punching than simply grappling on the bottom. That’s when my life’s path started to show towards martial arts.”
The younger Mongolian had discovered his ardour, nevertheless it wasn’t simple to pursue when he was from a humble background. Nonetheless, his mother was keen to do no matter was essential to assist her son succeed.
Baatarkhuu added:
“My mom was my largest supporter. After I went to Ulaanbaatar to participate in my first taekwondo competitors, my mom took out a payday mortgage and paid for my journey bills. She labored as a nurse on the native hospital on the time and her wage wasn’t very excessive.
“For a poor household like ours, taking a payday mortgage means making a number of sacrifices. However my mom thought it was extra vital to assist her son’s dream – the dream of turning into an Asian, World, and Olympic Champion in martial arts, and making my individuals proud.”
Change Of Course
The Khovd native had dreamed of being an Olympic gold medalist in taekwondo and competing as a member of the Mongolian nationwide group, however when that failed to return to fruition, he determined to attempt one thing new. In 2009, he found blended martial arts and fell in love.
Baatarkhuu was immediately enamored with the all-encompassing sport because of Canadian legend Georges St-Pierre, however he additionally regarded as much as Jadambaa and believed that his compatriot was the one to assist him attain the highest.
He mentioned:
“At the moment, Mr. Narantungalag was one of many largest stars in Mongolian MMA, successful titles in Japan and China, so I needed to be his pupil and prepare underneath his steering. However I didn’t know the place to seek out him.
“Fortunately, I met certainly one of his college students at an occasion, who then launched me to him. I used to be very nervous after I first met him. In spite of everything, he was my idol. Mr. Narantungalag was very variety to me and allowed me to coach at his membership, saying, ‘If you’ll prepare underneath my steering, you need to give your all.’”
Baatarkhuu complemented his MMA coaching at Avarga Institute of Bodily Schooling, the place he studied to be a bodybuilding and health coach.
After graduating in 2012, the Mongolian gained employment as a health coach for the Oyu Tolgoi Mining Firm. Quickly thereafter, he scored a profitable job as a platform operator. Although he earned a a lot larger wage, he felt emptier and emptier because the years handed by.
He mentioned:
“In 2016, the whole lot modified. Although I used to be financially snug at the moment, I felt that one thing was lacking. I felt like I wasn’t dwelling my life to the fullest. Like, I wasn’t dwelling in any respect. Simply current. That need to attain one thing nice in my life was burning in my chest.
“So I requested myself, ‘What’s the one factor that makes me really feel pleased and alive?’ The reply was preventing. Nothing compares to the sensation of being born once more after a battle, as if the whole lot is beginning anew. Pure adrenaline. I really like that feeling, and so I selected MMA as my future.”
Excessive Danger, Excessive Reward
After a few years of onerous work, dedication, and sharpening his expertise on the nationwide scene, the possibility of a lifetime got here up for Baatarkhuu in 2022.
ONE Championship partnered with Steppe Hyperlink Holding for the inaugural season of Highway to ONE: Mongolia, a 10-episode actuality sequence that includes two groups of MMA fighters competing for a single US$100,000 contract and roster spot with the world’s largest martial arts group.
When Jadambaa discovered about it, he instantly advised his protege and determined to enter him into the competitors.
Baatarkhuu mentioned:
“I first heard the information that Highway to ONE was going to be held in Mongolia from my coach. We have now talked many occasions earlier than about going overseas to battle, however we couldn’t resolve precisely the place to go and which promotion to battle in. So, the information of Highway to ONE: Mongolia made me actually pleased.”
Baatarkhuu made the a lot of the alternative. He earned back-to-back victories through the present’s dwell two-part finale at Steppe Enviornment in Ulaanbaatar, culminating with a one-punch KO of Bat-Ochir Batsaikhan to win Highway to ONE: Mongolia and the accompanying six-figure contract with ONE Championship.
Now a member of the group’s roster, Baatarkhuu is making ready to make his promotional debut in 2023 and appears to strike ONE World Title gold similar to his mentor.
He mentioned:
“My aim is obvious: the ONE Championship belt, and I gained’t relaxation till I’ve it. I need to present my opponents how robust Mongolian fighters are. I need to present how fierce and harmful we’re, similar to our ancestors who conquered half of the world. The fighters who will face me on the ONE Championship stage should be ready for the whole lot. That’s my message, be ready for the whole lot.”
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