He submitted one of the most decorated champions in ONE Championship history, reached the finale of a Netflix reality series, and received congratulations from his country’s president. Now the world is watching to see if Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu can hold what he has won.

Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu makes his first ONE Bantamweight MMA World Title defence against undefeated Azerbaijani challenger Elbek Alyshov at The Inner Circle 24, streaming live for members from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, July 31. With two finishers sharing the ring, this World Title matchup is built to produce a statement.

Baatarkhuu won the belt at ONE Fight Night 38 last December by submitting Fabricio “Wonder Boy” Andrade. The finish capped a run that included wins over Carlo “The Bull” Bumina-ang, Aaron Canarte, and Jeremy “The Jaguar” Pacatiw. His title win also came immediately after reaching the finale of Netflix’s hit reality competition Physical: Asia alongside Team Mongolia. Afterward, he expanded his profile far beyond the sport’s core audience.

A successful first defence would push him closer to his stated next target: ONE Featherweight MMA World Champion Tang Kai and a historic shot at two-division gold.

Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu faces undefeated challenger Elbek Alyshov

Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu enters his first title defence against a challenger who has left nothing standing in his path. Alyshov arrives in Bangkok with a flawless professional record and a pair of ONE Championship submission victories over names Baatarkhuu himself conquered on the way to the belt.

The Azerbaijani submitted Pacatiw via arm-triangle choke at ONE Fight Night 34 last August, then followed that with a second-round submission of Bumina-ang at ONE Fight Night 37 three months later. He has finished nearly every professional opponent he has faced.

For Alyshov, dethroning an insanely popular champion like Baatarkhuu would instantly elevate his profile on the global stage. For Baatarkhuu, a clean first defence keeps his two-division ambitions firmly on track.

Both men finish fights. Something will give on July 31.