"He helped me out a lot on the mental side" - Chinese MMA fighter Balajin on Henry Cejudo's contribution to his 'Road to UFC' preparations (Exclusive)
Chinese-Mongolian prospect Balajin is slated to meet his Japanese counterpart Keisuke Sasu in a featherweight clash at 'Road to UFC' on October 23 in Abu Dhabi. 'The Snow Leopard' has moved to Henry Cejudo's Fight Ready MMA in Arizona alongside fellow Mongolians Aoriqileng and Alatengheili.
Primarily being a Mongolian-style wrestler, Balajin has been working on his stand-up game under the guidance of renowned striking coach Eddie Cha at Fight Ready. Apart from the technical side of things, 'The Snow Leopard' also claims to have benifitted mentally during his time in the U.S. According to Balajin, Fight Ready head honcho Henry Cejudo has helped him mentally and emotionally. The 30-year-old spoke to Andrew Whitelaw through a translator during an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA:
"Henry Cejudo, he is like a leader. So he helped me out a lot on the mental side. He shared a lot of his experience to us. When he compete in the UFC or in Olympics. So he helped a lot on the mental and the emotional side. So yeah, I have learned a lot since I have been in Fight Ready MMA."
Watch Balajin's interview with Sportskeeda MMA below:
'The Snow Leopard' will face Keisuke Sasu in a non-tournament featherweight clash on the Road to UFC. Currently riding a 15-fight win streak, the Chinese fighter had to drop out of the opening round of the tournament due to Covid. Meanwhile, Sasu will be returning under the banner after a first-round submission loss against Yi Zha.
Balajin talks about the influence of Li Jingliang and 'The Korean Zombie' on his career
The Road to UFC tournament was designed to be the promotion's talent hunt for the region of Asia. Like most aspiring Asian fighters, Balajin has obviously been inspired by Chan Sung Jung, aka The Korean Zombie, and Li Jingliang, two of the greatest fighters from that part of the world.
Having grown up respecting them, 'The Snow Leopard' never dreamt of training with 'TKZ' or 'The Leech'. While he has trained with fellow countryman Jingliang, the Chinese prospect even had the opportunity to train with 'TKZ' during his time at Fight Ready. Speaking about their influence on him, the 30-year-old further told Sportskeeda MMA (3:36 mark):
"So, they inspired me a lot. I look up [to] Li Jingliang, Korean Zombie. I see them as my idols. Because when I just start train MMA, they already in the UFC. So I did really respect them. I hope one day I can be at their level. And I never imagine[d] one day I can train together with them. So yeah, I do respect them."