Jadambaa Promises An Unforgettable Bout With Martin Nguyen In Manila

Narantungalag “Tungaa” Jadambaa‘s only aim when he returned to ONE Championship was to battle his way into World Title contention once again.

Following a pair of dominant back-to-back victories last year, the former World Champion accomplished just that, and now, he looks to capitalize on a golden opportunity.

On Friday, 12 April, the Mongolian superstar will challenge ONE Featherweight World Champion Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen for the belt in the main event of ONE: ROOTS OF HONOR.

After a year and a half away from the sport, Jadambaa made a triumphant return. The veteran’s consecutive wins last June and July over Edward “The Ferocious” Kelly and Kazuki Tokudome, respectively, fast-tracked him to a shot at the gold.

However, the speed of his exponential rise back to the top surprised even him.

“To tell the truth, I didn’t expect to get a World Title shot so soon,” the 43-year-old reveals ahead of his match-up at the Mall Of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines.

“Of course, I’m very glad to compete for the ONE Featherweight World Title again. I felt great returning to ONE Championship and getting the two wins.”

The sport of mixed martial arts evolves at a rapid pace and, for a pioneering athlete like “Tungaa,” seeing the featherweight division’s new talent pool is refreshing.

Jadambaa made his professional debut 15 years ago, and he won the ONE Featherweight World Title in August 2014. Lately, however, he has been re-energized by the strength of the athletes in his weight class.

“I feel that the fighters’ quality [of skills] and the ability of this division has improved more than before,” he says.

Most notably, he points to the division’s reigning king, Nguyen.

In August 2017, Nguyen knocked out Marat “Cobra” Gafurov — the man who ended the Mongolian’s World Title reign — to claim the prize, and he has since successfully defended against Christian “The Warrior” Lee. Also, he claimed the ONE Lightweight World Title in November 2017, but vacated the belt this past September due to injury.

The Vietnamese-Australian was the one who initially offered him a World Title shot, and Jadambaa cannot wait to meet him in the middle of the cage.

“I was surprised at his comment very much,” the pioneer admits. “It will give me the greatest of pleasure to face him, but it won’t influence me during the fight.”

The current World Champion has a rocket of a right hand that can end a contest in an instant, but the battle-hardened Mongolian has been in the ring — and cage — with some of the world’s most elite strikers.

Still, he is not overlooking “The Situ-Asian,” as he knows there is more to becoming the top dog than just a single punch.

“His offense, fighting style, and ability to make a game plan are all dangerous,” Jadambaa explains.

Nguyen has not been defeated at featherweight in nearly four years, and all but one of his 11 career victories have been inside the distance.

Also, the Vietnamese-Australian heavy-hitter is training alongside two-division ONE World Champion Aung La “The Burmese Python” N Sang at Hard Knocks 365 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, so the veteran challenger needs to be on top of his game to claim victory.

Understandably, Jadambaa does not want to reveal too much about his strategy.

However, his powerful striking and wrestling have been a force since his epic return in June, and “Tungaa” will not back down at any point during this five-round affair.

“He can’t know the game plan made by my team, but I will try to exploit his weak points,” the Mongolian says.

“I improved all aspects of my technique, and will show you a powerful and strong MMA style in the fight. I expect that the bout in Manila will be a historic and unforgettable fight.”