Former ONE Featherweight World Champion Narantungalag Jadambaa comes from a nation that prides itself on never backing down and always bringing the fight when needed.

That is why Jadambaa wants nothing more than to work his way right back into another title shot to reclaim the belt he lost to Marat Gafurov last November.

Jadambaa is set to headline the ONE: DYNASTY OF CHAMPIONS (HEFEI) event on 2 July from the Hefei Olympic Sports Centre in China against top Filipino contender Eric Kelly. A win would be his second straight over tough competition since the loss to Gafurov, and likely position him as the next in line to get a shot at the belt.

Besides personal glory, representing Mongolia is something that “Tungaa” takes very seriously each time he competes.

“I am very proud,” said Jadambaa of his heritage. “Mongolia has a history of great warriors. It means to me that I am representing one of those warriors in present times, and show success.”

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Like most from the mountains of Mongolia, Jadambaa grew up learning to wrestle. A lifelong practitioner of martial arts, he is currently a second-dan black belt in Judo, a black belt in Kyokushin Karate, and a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

“When I was a child, I grew up in the countryside,” said Jadambaa. “I think there is no one in Mongolia who cannot wrestle. So, as kids, I wrestled all day long and raced horses. These were a unique part of country life.”

Now entering his twelfth year of active competition, Jadambaa believes his level of skill and experience is one that can offset fighting against younger athletes. Since going professional in MMA in 2004, he has accumulated a respectable 11-4 record.

“MMA is a combat sport which requires a lot of skill and experience,” he said. “To accumulate experience and fighting skills needs time. That’s why my age is an advantage for me. There is a saying in Mongolian which states that at the age of 40, you become a real man. That’s why I am seeing my age as a good thing.”

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The bout with Gafurov continues to fuel the veteran and his desire to reach the top of the sport once more. Despite a spirited effort, Jadambaa failed to defend his belt in that bout in 2015, losing via rear naked choke in the fourth round of their scheduled five-round contest.

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