Two years ago, Danaa Batgerel took his training halfway around the world. The former MGL featherweight titleholder left his home in Mongolia to fly across the Pacific Ocean to the U.S..
The 30-year-old relocated to Albuquerque to hone his craft at the world-renowned Jackson-Wink MMA camp. The training facility is home to a number of top-notch athletes such as Jon Jones, Carlos Condit, John Dodson, Michelle Waterson and Holly Holm.
From striking to grappling, Jackson-Wink MMA has it covered for Batgerel, who has relished the opportunity to learn some tricks of the trade from renowned coached Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn,
“I felt like it would be the best place to be challenged and to improve. I’ve trained alongside some of the biggest names, living legends, which has been very inspiring,” Batgerel said.
Room for improvement
Batgerel has a solid support system in his native Mongolia. His coaches and training partners include former ONE Championship featherweight titlist Narantungalag Jadambaa but he acknowledged that there will always be room for improvement,
“It’s the best decision I have made in a long time. I feel like I have improved in the short amount of time I have been there. There were gaps in my game, so I am just doing my part as a hungry competitor to improve areas of my game that must be addressed,” he stated.
He has also settled in well at the New Mexico based camp,
“The genuine camaraderie that I experienced was one of the best factors about training at Jackson-Wink. You are working with people who have the same goals as you,” Batgerel added.
Fresh start
Batgerel is booked to square off with Argentina’s Guido Cannetti on the undercard of UFC 248, which takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday night (local time). It is one of the biggest cards of the year and an opportunity for the Mongolian to announce himself to American fans.
After falling short in his promotional debut against Heili Alateng at UFC Shenzhen this past August, Batgerel is eager to utilize everything that he learned at Jackson-Wink MMA,
“I have the best coaches in my corner. I also train with the best fighters in the world. With that said, I’m confident coming into this fight because I have them behind me,” he said.
Batgerel may have lost his maiden UFC assignment, but he views this upcoming match against Cannetti as a new beginning,
“I am not thinking about what happened before. This is a fresh start. I am learning as I go. I still have a lot to show, and I have not been able to perform at my best. They will see in my next fight.”
