Baatarkhuu Backs Himself Against Undefeated Alyshov

Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu defends his ONE bantamweight MMA title Friday against undefeated Elbek Alyshov at The Inner Circle 24 in Bangkok.

Alyshov enters the fight having submitted Carlo Bumina-ang and Jeremy Pacatiw in his last two outings, according to BJ Penn dot com. Both men previously fought Baatarkhuu on his path to the belt — the Mongolian champion needed three rounds to stop Bumina-ang and went the full distance with Pacatiw. Alyshov finished each far more decisively.

Baatarkhuu Sees Tactical Edge Despite Grappling Threat

Baatarkhuu told reporters he respects the Azerbaijani-Russian challenger's submission skills. "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," Baatarkhuu said. He acknowledged Alyshov might hold the wrestling advantage but remains confident he has the read on how the fight plays out.

The champion believes the stylistic matchup favors him once the Circle locks. "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," he said.

The card streams live for ONE Championship subscribers Friday night from Lumpinee Stadium.

Reported via:

• BJPenn — Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu isn’t taking his first ONE World Title defense for granted