Former ONE MMA World Champion praises “hardworking” protege Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu ahead of ONE Fight Night 38

Former ONE Featherweight MMA World Champion Narantungalag Jadambaa will watch his longtime protege Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu challenge for the ONE Bantamweight MMA World Title at ONE Fight Night 38 on Friday, December 5, inside Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

The 36-year-old Mongolian faces reigning ruler Fabricio Andrade in the main event, representing a passing-of-the-torch moment for the 49-year-old legend who shaped Mongolia’s fighting spirit for decades.

Baatarkhuu emerged from Mongolia’s rugged wrestling culture and carved his path through grit, heart, and relentless consistency. Jadambaa recognized those qualities from day one. Seeing his student headline against the Brazilian knockout artist fills the former champion with deep pride. He believes the Physical Asia gym star has all the tools necessary to shock the world, and that this title challenge represents the natural result of years of sacrifice and unwavering discipline.

The clearest sign that Baatarkhuu was destined for greatness came during his clash with previously undefeated Filipino phenom Jhanlo Mark Sangiao at ONE Fight Night 13 in August 2023. That night, he didn’t just hand the surging star his first professional loss. Baatarkhuu stayed composed under pressure, absorbed big shots, executed a slick kimura in the second round, and walked away with fifty thousand dollars in bonus money from ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong.

“The most important advantage Enkh-Orgil has is that he is persistent and hardworking. He is hardworking and honest,” he said. “Eleven years after I became World Champion, in the very organization where I held the title, my trainee Enkh-Orgil has earned the opportunity to fight for the championship belt. I’m personally very happy about this.”

Narantungalag Jadambaa spotted Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu’s championship potential early

The victory over Jhanlo Mark Sangiao proved Narantungalag Jadambaa’s assessment correct. Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu already possessed the poise, toughness, and instincts required to thrive on the global stage at the very highest level. That performance validated everything the former champion had seen in training. It also convinced him his protege belonged among the bantamweight elite.

Standing across from Baatarkhuu is one of the most dangerous champions in the sport today. Fabricio Andrade has torn through ONE Championship with unmatched precision. He smashed his way through two brutal encounters with former divisional king John Lineker to capture the bantamweight crown. The Brazilian kingpin then defended the belt with a stunning 42-second knockout of Kwon Won Il in their rematch at ONE 170 this past January.

With an eight-bout undefeated run in the promotion’s MMA ranks, Andrade has evolved into a champion who rarely leaves openings. He pushes every opponent to their absolute limit before completely breaking them. To Jadambaa, that only magnifies the scale of the opportunity ahead and the significance of what victory would mean for Mongolia’s fighting legacy.

“Of course, his opponent is a strong and skilled champion. I hope that as a result of consistent training, he will win,” he said.

“The moment I’m most proud of is when he won his match against Sangiao and earned a US$50,000 bonus. The opponent was a strong guy, and he was undefeated at the time. Then, Enkh-Orgil followed his plan and endured a heavy blow as well. But I’m happy he went out there and won fairly. I was thrilled that he had accomplished his big goal.”