At the rate things are going for the native of Nei Mongol, China, he could soon find himself in a position where young fighters are watching him and trying to follow in his footsteps. Owner of a 16-8-2 record, Alatengheili didn’t hit his stride until he signed on the dotted line to compete in the UFC, where he is currently 4-1-1 in the one of the toughest splits in the promotion. And even more specifically, things really started to pick up speed when he started training in Arizona with the Fight Ready team just over a year ago.
“This team has been helping me since the first day I arrived in the United States,” he said of his decision to work with the team. “I get on very well with them and I’ve adapted to training and the team. That’s the main reason I came here. For me, living in the United States, teammates are better and they help me with all aspects of the sport and all my skills.
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In 2022, Alatengheili won twice, first knocking out Kevin Croom in less than a minute before beating Anheliger. It’s proof that everything is working for him, even though he’s had a hard time leaving the house.
“My family is very supportive of my career and my success,” he said. “For me, the biggest obstacle is that I miss my family, and it’s going to be a long time to see my family. But for this last fight, my brother came to the United States to support me from China and I am very, very grateful.