“A huge responsibility” – Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu insists top contenders must earn their shot at his gold

Reigning and undisputed ONE bantamweight MMA world champion and Netflix Physical: Asia star ‘The Tormentor’ Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu of Mongolia is excited to make the first defense of his gold, but believes contenders need to earn their spot across from him in the ring, as opposed to being gifted a shot at the belt.

Baatarkhuu talked in particular about the top two contenders to his crown — former champions ‘Wonder Boy’ Fabricio Andrade and ‘Hands of Stone’ John Lineker — who are coming off of losses.

In a recent interview with ONE Championship, Baatarkhuu said he believes that the next contender for the bantamweight MMA world title should have won at least one fight, referencing his legendary coach Narantungalag Jadambaa’s experience as champion.

‘The Tormentor’ said:

“I know that holding the world title – holding this golden belt – is a huge responsibility. I have major respect for my belt as well. My coach, Narantungalag Jadambaa, fought for a title shot three times. And every time he lost, he would have to win at least two more times before he could fight for the belt again.”

Baatarkhuu added:

“I do believe that the reason behind it is that whoever is willing to fight for the belt must win his last fight – at least one fight.”

Needless to say, Baatarkhuu is raring to return to action, and fans shouldn’t have to wait too long to see him back inside the ring.

Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu has message for young Mongolian MMA hopefuls: “You’ll be surprised”

Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu relishes his position as a role model for Mongolian youth, especially those who want to follow in his footsteps in MMA. And he had a message for the next generation.

‘The Tormentor’ told ONE Championship:

“If you want to do it, first you need to work hard to make a decision. Start training. And when you start sparring, you’ll get a sense of where you stand – your strength or weaknesses. If you compete against someone who’s better than you, you’ll be surprised, thinking ‘What’s this?’ There are some who take it lightly without having experienced and then they will face a significant shock.”

Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu’s next fight.