“Ao Riqi Leng” means universe in Mongolian and just like this phrase, the fighter who has the name Aori Qileng had big dreams of making a name for himself and leaving a mark.  ‘The Mongolian Murderer’ as he is named, is now a bantamweight fighter in UFC so he did fulfill his big dream. However, it was not easy.

Coming from Mongolia to the Western country to compete and train to become the best was a harsh journey. Let’s see the journey of this amazing fighter and discover more about him.

Is Aori Qileng Chinese or Mongolian? Ethnicity and nationality

Born on June 25, 1993, the Bantamweight fighter grew up in the Xilingol League, Inner Mongolia. His family were herders and they lived a nomadic lifestyle. And it is no surprise that the fighter exhibits excellent physical tenacity given that he has grown up working in harsh terrains. He was always interested in martial arts and used to practice with his coach. Subsequently, he was sent to Xi’an Sports Institute to practice Sanda with the famous coach Zhao Xuejun.

There was also a time during his training when he was not giving his best and admitted that he was lazy. He conveyed in an interview with INF News, “When I first entered the gym, I was often lazy and complained that my stomach hurts during training. Later, when I lost the first game, I thought, all the same people, why would I lose and he would win? I want to practice hard, I also want to get the gold medal!”

Winning fights and becoming the best athlete, not only gave him the sense of achievement that he wanted, but also a better financial life. Since he was from a rural background, he needed financial help. Winning a championship meant 500 yuan which would be sufficient to help his family out.

After practicing Sanda for two years he saw a MMA Competition on the TV and that is when he had an idea. Qileng was fascinated to see that MMA included, jujutsu, sparring, and kicking as well and was more exciting than Sanda. His mother did not approve of this and wanted him to only concentrate on Sanda rather than combat sports which was harsher.

He stated, “I persisted for a year and finally waited for the game. I was very excited and a little nervous at the time. I won a KO in less than a minute after playing. It was the first time I made money in my life. I was 20 years old that year.” Even after his mother stopped him from pursuing MMA out of concern, he still respects and loves his parents.

Aori Qileng’s parents, family, and early life

Qileng talked about his mother in the same interview and said that he regretted going to his house only once a year whereas others spent home five times a year. He said, “It has been four or five years since I went home to spend the New Year with my mother, and I feel most owed to her. Since I was a child, I didn’t like to talk very much, and I was more introverted. My mother gave me a lot of encouragement. She is very great.”

The Bantamweight fighter under UFC has a good record outside of UFC as well. He has had 18 wins and 6 losses, including 5 KOs and 2 surrender records. In total, he has fought 40 games and won 30  of them which is extremely impressive. The man who previously used to pretend to be sick to get exempted from training is now a world-famous fighter under the UFC. He joined UFC in 2019 and since then has not looked back.

Aori Qileng’s accomplishments before the UFC

Qileng went on to win various championships in Sanda. Here’s a list:

• The championship 2012 Inner Mongolia National Games at 52 kg
• The championship of 2013 Inner Mongolia Sanshou Tournament at 56 kg
• The championship of 2014 Fight King Tournament at 60 kg
• The championship of 2015 Fight King Tournament at 63 kg in Inner Mongolia Tongliao
• The gold belt in the Sino-French King of Fighters Match 61 kg four-way tournament

In December 2016, his last win marked two consecutive bouts wherein he clinched the gold belt. With a record of 25-10-0, he is a pretty tough contender for anyone in the UFC. Qileng Aori is a pressure fighter and likes to keep his opponents under pressure throughout the fight. Maybe this is the reason he has the moniker ‘Mongolian Murderer.’

He is set to fight Raul Rosas at UFC 306 in The Sphere which is an iconic venue to fight in. How do you think he’s going to fair in this game?