Sanda became his foundation. Later, mixed martial arts gave him a new direction.

After building a long professional career in China, winning regional titles and competing dozens of times, Aoriqileng eventually reached the UFC.

Aoriqileng (傲日其楞) Fighter Information

Who Is Aoriqileng?

Aoriqileng is a Chinese professional mixed martial artist who competes in the UFC bantamweight division.

He is a Sanda-based fighter from Inner Mongolia with an unusually deep professional record.

Before entering the UFC, Aoriqileng fought extensively on the Chinese regional scene.

As a result, he arrived in the promotion with far more professional cage experience than the average UFC newcomer.

Where Is Aoriqileng From?

Aoriqileng is from Xilingol in Inner Mongolia, China.

Inner Mongolia is an autonomous region in northern China with a strong Mongolian cultural presence.

His upbringing was very different from the urban training environments associated with many modern fighters.

Aoriqileng’s family were herders and lived a nomadic lifestyle.

That background meant physical work and outdoor life were part of his childhood long before combat sports became a profession.

Is Aoriqileng Mongolian?

Yes.

Aoriqileng comes from Inner Mongolia and is ethnically Mongolian.

Although he represents China professionally, his Mongolian identity is a central part of his background and is reflected in his nickname.

His Chinese name is written 傲日其楞.

What Does Aoriqileng’s Name Mean?

According to the supplied biographical material, Aoriqileng means “universe” in Mongolian.

That makes his name one of the more distinctive names among UFC fighters.

He is sometimes listed as Aori Qileng, while ESPN, UFC and other MMA databases commonly use the single-word form Aoriqileng.

What Was Aoriqileng’s Childhood Like?

Aoriqileng grew up in a herding family.

His family lived a nomadic lifestyle in Inner Mongolia, where physical activity was simply part of everyday life.

That environment helped him develop strong natural fitness.

Eventually, coaches noticed his athletic ability and pushed him toward organized sport.

Instead of remaining only in his home region, Aoriqileng was sent to a sports institute where his martial arts development became much more structured.

How Did Aoriqileng Start Martial Arts?

Aoriqileng’s natural athleticism helped push him toward sport when he was young.

Eventually, he was sent to Xi’an Sports Institute to train Sanda under coach Zhao Xuejun.

That decision became the foundation of his fighting career.

Rather than beginning in MMA immediately, Aoriqileng first developed through Chinese combat sports.

Sanda gave him striking, movement, kicks and takedown awareness before he ever became a professional mixed martial artist.

What Is Sanda?

Sanda, sometimes called Sanshou, is a Chinese combat sport that combines striking with throws and takedowns.

Fighters can use punches and kicks while also attacking from the clinch.

That makes Sanda a useful base for MMA because athletes learn to strike without completely ignoring grappling transitions.

Aoriqileng carried that foundation into his professional career.

His orthodox stance, aggressive combinations and comfort exchanging at close range all reflect that background.

Who Is Aoriqileng’s Coach?

Aoriqileng has trained under Zhao Xuejun, a respected Chinese Sanda coach.

Zhao played an important role in his early martial arts development.

Later, as Aoriqileng’s MMA career expanded internationally, he also began working with teams and coaches outside China.

That eventually led to his connection with Fight Ready MMA in the United States.

What Did Aoriqileng Win in Sanda?

Before becoming known primarily as an MMA fighter, Aoriqileng had significant success in Sanda competition.

His accomplishments included championships at different weights in Inner Mongolia.

Among the events listed in his background are:

• 2012 Inner Mongolia National Games championship at 52 kg
• 2013 Inner Mongolia Sanshou Tournament championship at 56 kg
• 2014 Fight King Tournament championship at 60 kg
• 2015 Fight King Tournament championship at 63 kg
• 2016 Sino-French King of Fighters tournament gold belt

Those wins established him as an experienced combat-sports athlete before his MMA career matured.

How Did Aoriqileng Move From Sanda to MMA?

Aoriqileng was influenced by an older teammate who had started moving toward mixed martial arts.

That exposure encouraged him to make the same transition.

His Sanda experience gave him an immediate striking foundation.

However, MMA required a much broader game.

He therefore had to develop wrestling, submission defense and ground fighting while learning how to use his existing striking under a different ruleset.

When Did Aoriqileng Start Fighting Professionally?

Aoriqileng began his professional MMA career in 2015.

From there, he became extremely active.

Instead of reaching the UFC after only a handful of professional appearances, he fought repeatedly across China and other international events.

That experience included both victories and losses.

However, the large number of fights gave him years of practical experience against different styles.

What Promotions Did Aoriqileng Fight for Before the UFC?

Aoriqileng competed primarily on the Chinese regional circuit.

One of his most important stops was Wu Lin Feng, often shortened to WLF.

He became the WLF bantamweight champion and successfully defended the title.

By the time he reached the UFC, he had already experienced five-round-level expectations, championship pressure and a long list of professional opponents.

Was Aoriqileng a Champion Before the UFC?

Yes.

Aoriqileng won the WLF Bantamweight Championship.

He later successfully defended the belt.

That regional title remains one of the most important accomplishments from his career before the UFC.

It also showed that his path was not simply about collecting fights.

He had reached championship level in one of the more recognizable Chinese combat-sports organizations.

Why Is Aoriqileng Called “The Mongolian Murderer”?

Aoriqileng fights under the nickname “The Mongolian Murderer.”

The first part clearly references his Mongolian background.

The second reflects his aggressive fighting style and reputation for high-action bouts.

Despite the dramatic nickname, Aoriqileng himself often comes across much more simply in interviews.

He has described himself as someone who does not spend much time looking for excuses or outside explanations.

What Is Aoriqileng’s Personality Like?

Aoriqileng has described himself as a simple person.

During an interview after his UFC debut, he was asked about different outside factors surrounding the fight.

His response was straightforward.

For him, fighting came down to winning or losing rather than searching for many excuses or reasons.

That attitude also appears in how he approaches opponents.

Instead of obsessing over them throughout an entire camp, Aoriqileng prefers spending most of his preparation focused on himself.

Does Aoriqileng Study His Opponents?

Yes, but not immediately.

Aoriqileng has explained that he does not like making his opponent the center of an entire training camp.

Instead, he spends most of the camp improving his own skills.

Then, closer to the fight, he studies what the opponent does and makes tactical adjustments.

He once said that roughly two weeks of opponent-specific study was enough for him because he did not want an opponent occupying too much space in his mind.

What Is Aoriqileng’s Fighting Style?

Aoriqileng is an aggressive Sanda-based striker.

He is comfortable exchanging punches at close range, but his background also gives him kicking and takedown tools.

His professional record shows a fighter who can finish opponents but does not rely exclusively on knockouts.

A large percentage of his victories have actually come by decision.

Therefore, he combines toughness and pressure with the ability to fight through full three-round contests.

How Many Knockouts Does Aoriqileng Have?

Aoriqileng has nine professional knockout or TKO victories.

Those finishes demonstrate genuine power, especially at bantamweight.

However, he is not simply a knockout-or-bust fighter.

Most of his professional wins have come by decision, which reflects the enormous amount of round-by-round experience he has accumulated.

Does Aoriqileng Have Submission Wins?

Yes.

Aoriqileng has one professional submission victory.

He won that fight by armbar.

Although submissions are not the main feature of his style, his MMA career required him to develop far beyond his original Sanda base.

Why Does Aoriqileng Have So Many Professional Fights?

Aoriqileng spent years competing on the Chinese regional scene before reaching the UFC.

That environment allowed him to fight frequently.

Instead of building an undefeated record slowly, he took many fights against different opponents and accumulated experience through both victories and defeats.

As a result, his record contains more losses than many UFC prospects.

However, it also reflects a fighter who has been tested repeatedly.

Did Aoriqileng Fight Kai Kara-France?

Yes.

Long before both men became established UFC fighters, Aoriqileng faced Kai Kara-France.

Their fight took place on the Chinese regional circuit.

Aoriqileng lost by unanimous decision.

That matchup is an interesting part of his record because it shows the quality of opponents he was encountering years before making his UFC debut.

When Did Aoriqileng Join the UFC?

Aoriqileng made his UFC debut in 2021.

He entered the promotion after compiling a 20-9 professional record.

That meant his UFC debut was already his 30th professional MMA fight.

Few newcomers arrive with that amount of cage experience.

What Happened in Aoriqileng’s UFC Debut?

Aoriqileng faced Jeff Molina in his first UFC fight.

He lost by unanimous decision.

However, the bout was extremely entertaining and earned Fight of the Night honors.

Even in defeat, Aoriqileng immediately showed why his aggressive style could translate to the UFC.

Still, he later said the performance did not represent the best version of himself.

Why Did Aoriqileng Feel He Was Not at His Best in His UFC Debut?

Several things were different.

First, it was his first UFC appearance.

It was also his first time traveling to the United States for a fight.

More importantly, his regular coach and training partners from China were not with him.

Aoriqileng later pointed to the weight cut and jet lag as additional problems.

Instead of using those factors simply as excuses, he adjusted his preparation afterward.

Did Aoriqileng Ever Fight at Flyweight?

Yes.

Aoriqileng has competed at flyweight.

However, he later returned to bantamweight.

His experience cutting to 125 pounds was difficult.

After one UFC fight, he specifically mentioned the weight cut as one reason he did not feel physically at his best.

Bantamweight subsequently became his main division.

Why Did Aoriqileng Start Training in the United States?

Aoriqileng believed training in America could help improve his MMA game.

After his UFC debut, he had already discussed the idea of spending more preparation time in the United States.

Management support also made the move easier.

Later, when another fight was booked, he arrived earlier and stayed longer so he could properly adjust to the time difference, training environment and overall routine.

Where Does Aoriqileng Train in America?

Aoriqileng has been associated with Fight Ready MMA.

The gym is based in Arizona and has hosted numerous UFC fighters and high-level coaches.

His official fighter profiles also list him as fighting out of Phoenix, Arizona.

That American training connection added another layer to a career that began in Inner Mongolia and developed through Chinese Sanda.

What Did Aoriqileng Like About Training Around UFC Fighters?

The environment excited him.

Aoriqileng spoke about being surrounded by UFC athletes at the Performance Institute and regularly seeing fighters who could potentially become future opponents.

Rather than finding that uncomfortable, he viewed it as motivating.

Being around other elite fighters made him feel that he was training inside a high-level professional environment.

Did Aoriqileng Have COVID-19?

Yes.

After returning to China following his UFC debut, Aoriqileng tested positive for COVID-19.

He spent time in the hospital because of China’s strict COVID procedures at the time.

However, he later explained that his physical symptoms were not especially severe.

Once he was cleared, he returned to training.

What Does Aoriqileng Like to Eat?

During the same discussion about his health, Aoriqileng mentioned enjoying meat, particularly beef and lamb.

That detail fits naturally with his Inner Mongolian upbringing, where livestock and meat-heavy diets are common parts of local culture.

He connected that diet jokingly with feeling physically strong and healthy.

Is Aoriqileng Tough?

His career strongly suggests so.

Aoriqileng has competed professionally dozens of times.

He has fought through decisions, knockouts, submissions, weight-class changes and a long international career.

Moreover, his UFC debut immediately became a Fight of the Night battle.

That durability is part of why his nickname and fighting style fit together so naturally.

Has Aoriqileng Won UFC Bonuses?

Yes.

Aoriqileng has earned both major types of UFC performance bonuses.

His UFC debut earned Fight of the Night honors.

Later, another victory earned him a Performance of the Night bonus.

Those awards reflect two sides of his style.

He can produce long, entertaining battles, but he can also end fights quickly.

What Makes Aoriqileng Different?

His background separates him from many UFC fighters.

Aoriqileng did not grow up in a major city surrounded by modern MMA gyms.

He came from a nomadic herding family in Inner Mongolia.

Then Sanda gave him his first serious competitive path.

From there, he traveled to Xi’an, won multiple Sanda championships, moved into MMA and accumulated dozens of professional fights.

He eventually became a regional MMA champion before reaching the UFC.

Even after entering the world’s largest MMA promotion, Aoriqileng continued looking for new training environments.

He spent more time in the United States, worked around other UFC athletes and tried to expand beyond the skills that originally carried him out of Inner Mongolia.

That journey from a herding family to the UFC is what makes the story behind “The Mongolian Murderer” much more interesting than the nickname alone.

Aoriqileng FAQ

Who is Aoriqileng?

Aoriqileng is a Chinese professional mixed martial artist who competes in the UFC bantamweight division.

What is Aoriqileng’s real name?

His name is Aoriqileng, written in Chinese as 傲日其楞.

Is it Aoriqileng or Aori Qileng?

Both spellings are used.

UFC and ESPN commonly list him as Aoriqileng, while some sources separate the name as Aori Qileng.

What does Aoriqileng mean?

According to his biographical information, Aoriqileng means “universe” in Mongolian.

What is Aoriqileng’s nickname?

His nickname is “The Mongolian Murderer.”

When was Aoriqileng born?

He was born on June 25, 1993.

Where was Aoriqileng born?

He was born in Xilingol, Inner Mongolia, China.

What nationality is Aoriqileng?

He is Chinese.

Is Aoriqileng Mongolian?

Yes. Aoriqileng comes from the Mongolian community of Inner Mongolia, China.

What was Aoriqileng’s childhood like?

He grew up in a nomadic herding family in Inner Mongolia.

How tall is Aoriqileng?

Aoriqileng is listed at 5’7″ (170 cm).

What is Aoriqileng’s reach?

His listed reach is approximately 69 inches (175 cm).

What weight class does Aoriqileng fight in?

He competes primarily at bantamweight.

Has Aoriqileng fought at flyweight?

Yes. He previously competed at flyweight before returning to bantamweight.

What is Aoriqileng’s MMA record?

Aoriqileng’s professional MMA record is 26-13-0 with one no contest.

How many knockouts does Aoriqileng have?

He has nine professional knockout or TKO victories.

How many submission wins does Aoriqileng have?

He has one professional submission victory.

What is Aoriqileng’s fighting style?

Aoriqileng has a Sanda foundation combined with MMA striking, wrestling and grappling.

What stance does Aoriqileng use?

He fights from an orthodox stance.

Who is Aoriqileng’s coach?

His longtime Sanda coach is Zhao Xuejun.

Where does Aoriqileng train?

He is affiliated with Fight Ready MMA.

Did Aoriqileng train at Xi’an Sports Institute?

Yes. He was sent there to develop his Sanda skills under Zhao Xuejun.

Was Aoriqileng a Sanda champion?

Yes. He won multiple Sanda and Sanshou competitions before focusing on MMA.

Was Aoriqileng an MMA champion before the UFC?

Yes. He won the WLF Bantamweight Championship and successfully defended it.

When did Aoriqileng start professional MMA?

He began competing professionally in 2015.

When did Aoriqileng join the UFC?

He made his UFC debut in 2021.

Did Aoriqileng win his UFC debut?

No. He lost by decision, but the bout earned Fight of the Night.

Why did Aoriqileng start training in America?

He wanted access to more high-level fighters and a stronger MMA training environment.

Does Aoriqileng study opponents throughout his entire camp?

No. He has said he prefers focusing primarily on improving himself before studying the opponent more closely near the end of camp.

Has Aoriqileng fought Kai Kara-France?

Yes. The two fought before either man’s current UFC career was established.

Is Aoriqileng married?

His marital status is not publicly stated in the supplied material.

Does Aoriqileng have children?

Children are not publicly stated in the supplied material.

What religion is Aoriqileng?

His religion is not publicly stated in the supplied material.

What is Aoriqileng’s Instagram?

Aoriqileng can be found on Instagram at @aoriqileng.