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Another Olympic Medalist to Transition to MMA Following the Footsteps of Ronda Rousey and Kayla Harrison

Published 01/24/2022, 8:51 AM EST

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MMA fighters like Ronda Rousey and Kayla Harrison have never failed to inspire women all over the world. While Harrison still is one of the biggest names, Rousey has retired from MMA. Yet, her contribution to the sport was huge. Further, both these sports personalities won medals at the Olympics in Judo before transitioning into MMA. Monkhbatyn Urantsetseg seems to follow in their footsteps.

 

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Rousey had won the Bronze medal, whereas Harrison has been a two-time Gold medalist. Similarly, Urantsetseg, who competed in the 48 kg division, won a Bronze medal at the 2020 Olympics. As a result, she could easily compete in MMA’s atomweight or strawweight divisions.

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Further, she is not just an expert in Judo, but also in Samba. Since Judo experts like Rousey and Harrison have done so well in MMA, the 31-year-old might have a great new career ahead. Her knowledge of Judo could easily aid her mixed martial arts career. So it would be interesting to see how it all turns out.

Moreover, many promotions might be interesting in getting her on board. After all, they are always looking for some of the biggest talents. Her addition to the atomweight or strawweight division of any promotion would cause fierce competition.

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So if she is really thinking about MMA, people would surely be curious to see which promotion she chooses.

Other Judo fighters in MMA

Apart from Ronda Rousey and Kayla Harrison, there are many more Judo fighters in MMA. Fedor Emelianenko, who is considered the greatest heavyweight, also has a black belt in Judo.

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Before MMA, he had tried his hand at Judo matches. However, in MMA, he is an incredible striker, and perhaps, his expertise over striking and having great take-down defense has contributed to his success.

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Furthermore, many fighters who come from a background in grappling martial arts like wrestling and Judo have excelled at MMA. Another such example is Henry Cejudo, who won a Gold for freestyle wrestling at the Olympics.

So it does seem like a good decision for Urantsetseg to enter the world of MMA. What do you think about Monkhbatyn Urantsetseg transitioning to MMA? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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Written by:

Rohini Kottu

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Rohini Kottu is a UFC Writer at EssentiallySports. She is also a Psychologist and has a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology. Rohini, in her role as a UFC writer, combines her admiration for the mental resilience that MMA fighters have and her love for analysis.
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