Mongolia’s Danaa Batgerel has found some explosive form with back-to-back knockout wins in the UFC’s bantamweight division. This weekend he takes on Brandon Davis who returns to the promotion two years after being released.
UFC Vegas 40 will be Batgerel’s third appearance inside the octagon. The 32 year old believes he has what it takes to be a champion,
“100%. I wouldn’t be in the sport if it wasn’t for chasing the championship. I feel like I’m championship worthy and I’m chasing it.”
Former champion
He has his sights set on a former champion. Batgerel wants a shot at Jose Aldo although he hints at another callout which fans should look out for,
“Whoever’s champion. That’s the person that has the bullseye behind their back and I’m going to be chasing them. However, Jose Aldo is definitely someone I respect and admire and in a way he’s one of the reasons why I’m in the division. In my previous fight I actually called out Aldo as a dream match-up. I have another person in mind who I will potentially call out. But you’re going to have to wait and see on Saturday.”
The other name on Batgerel’s lips recently has been Sean O’Malley. The flamboyant star is undoubtedly the biggest draw outside the top 15 and a potential ‘money fight’ for any opponent.
“I actually called out Jose Aldo and Sean O’Malley in my prior fight. Obviously, he’s very skilled. Very talented. But I like the way my skills match up against his and I would love to have that fight one day.”
Strange experience
Batgerel’s only loss in the UFC came against fellow Mongolian Heili Alateng at UFC Shenzhen. It was a strange experience for him as the two are long term friends,
“It was definitely difficult. It was a short-notice fight and we used to train together, lived together in an apartment and I used to go to his gym, so it was definitely a tough fight to take but it is what it is. We briefly spoke about it pre-fight. We kept it professional and we still keep in touch to this day.”
Perhaps that experience, coupled with overall wisdom from years in the fight game has lead Batgerel to change his perspective regarding opponents. Now he believes you need to pursue the big fights, rather than staying quiet and waiting for the next dance partner,
“At the beginning of my career I was all about ‘it’s strictly martial arts’ but now I’m definitely understanding that part of the game too.”
If he wants to get the opportunity to call out Aldo, O’Malley or anyone else for that matter Batgerel will need to beat Davis. But he has shown he has the skills to compete in the UFC’s bantamweight division and now he wants to do some talking outside of the cage too.
