Las Vegas, NV — Mongolia’s Batgerel Danaa has his first win in the UFC. At UFC 248, he made an early statement with a knockout win over the returning Guido Cannetti.
He also threw his name in the proverbial hat for a Performance of the Night bonus.
Batgerel (8-2) was essentially completely under the radar prior to joining the UFC, at least for most fight fans. But after Saturday night in Las Vegas, he’ll certainly have some new fans. Speaking to reporters including Cageside Press post-fight, he said that “I’m very glad that I got the victory, and I’m very happy right now.”
He also tipped his hat to Mongolian warriors of old. “I’m very happy that our ancestors of the 13th century were great warriors, and I’m glad I got to represent them,” Batgerel said, invoking images of Mongolian hordes. The infamous Genghis Khan became ruler of the Mongols in 1206. Their empire would eventually became one of the largest in history.
Moving back to the present, Batgerel also gave thanks to Jackson-Wink MMA in New Mexico, where he’s been training. “I love all the support from all the guys back home, and everybody from Jackson-Wink. I love everybody from Jackson-Wink.”
Training with that team gave him confidence that he could win in the UFC. “I was very sure I would win, because of the great team that I had back at Jackson-Wink,” he stated.
With a big victory stateside, the question now is where Danaa Batgerel wants to fight next. While there are always opportunities to compete on cards in Asia, the Mongolian would actually prefer to fight in the U.S. That’s because he “enjoys the States,” he said. “Two years ago I came here and trained over here for six months. Since then, I’ve been moving back and forth from here to back home.”
No question with a performance like he had on Saturday night, Batgerel will have opportunities to fight just about anywhere. “I’m ready for anyone,” he added in regards to what comes next.
Watch the full UFC 248 post-fight press scrum with Danaa Batgerel above!
