Before fully committing to MMA, Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu worked as a platform operator at the Oyu Tolgoi gold and copper mine. He opens up about how he would manage 12-hour shifts at the mine along with intense MMA training, finding the experience both grueling and enjoyable.

For most, working 12-hour shifts at a desk job leaves them too exhausted for time at the gym. However, Baatarkhuu proves how nothing can come in the way of a true fitness enthusiast. His journey of training in the cold mountains after his shifts, with nothing but his gear, can seem astonishing to most; however, Baatarkhuu seemed to love them.

“We train in the mountains, wrestling in the cold with just our training gear. We live in these extreme temperatures, rubbing snow on our bodies. I’m just one of those crazy guys who loves to do that”.

As if 12-hour, grueling shifts at the mine weren’t enough, Baatarkhuu would then go for intense MMA sessions, admitting that they were “even harder” than the mining shifts. Once he eventually left his mining job, he would use the extra time to train twice a day.

“The Tormentor” Baatarkhuu’s ‘craziness’ goes beyond training. He admits how he could take cold plunges in parts of the lake or river that were not frozen, where temperatures went as low as -40 Celsius.

It’s clear that he was not ready to put his MMA dreams on hold for anyone. Of course, his time in the mountains heavily shaped what he would later become in his career.

How Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu’s ‘Mountain Training’ Shaped His Career

To truly understand Baatarkhuu’s incredible strength and endurance, it’s important to look at his life before MMA.

The Mongolian fighter spent most of his waking hours working in physically demanding conditions in a gold and copper mine. More often than not, he relied on his bare hands to extract raw ore. The very act of balancing large, unbalanced loads on his back, using his bare hands on sharp, jagged rocks, and tearing away at roots, shaped his power.

“There are two reasons that I developed this grip strength. When I was 17, I worked in the mines. Copper, iron, fluorite, and other minerals, I mined with my bare hands. We had no machines at the time. That job was quite hard. I really worked hard,” he says to ONE championship.

He added, “A year after that, I also worked in the mountains. We cut the trees down with our hands as well. That was really, really hard labor. We had no good tools, and it was quite cold outside. But I still had to work. These two jobs gave me great upper body and arm strength.”

What started as merely a way of earning eventually became the very thing that made Baatarkhuu such a strong MMA icon.

Do you think you could handle 12-hour shifts at work and intense MMA training sessions on the same day? Share your opinions in the comments.

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Written by

Avantika Das

Edited by

Ashvinkumar Patil