WRESTLERS from Mongolia

Top 6

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Mongolian Wrestlers of all time. This list of famous Mongolian Wrestlers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.

1. Hakuhō Shō (1985 - )

With an HPI of 42.65, Hakuhō Shō is the most famous Mongolian Wrestler.  His biography has been translated into 23 different languages on wikipedia.

Hakuhō Shō (Japanese: 白鵬 翔, born 11 March 1985 as Mönkhbatyn Davaajargal (Mongolian: Мөнхбатын Даваажаргал; IPA: [mөnxpatʰin taw̜aːt͡ʃargaɮ])) is a former professional sumo wrestler (rikishi) from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Making his debut in March 2001, he reached the top makuuchi division in May 2004. In May 2007, at the age of 22, he became the second native of Mongolia, and the fourth non-Japanese overall, to be promoted to the highest rank in sumo, yokozuna. In 2009, he broke the record for the most wins in a calendar year, winning 86 out of 90 bouts, and repeated this feat with the same record again in 2010 when he established the second longest winning streak in sumo history. He also holds the record for the most undefeated tournament championships at sixteen, which is eight more than any other sumo wrestler in history. He was the only active yokozuna from 2010, following the retirement of his rival and fellow Mongolian Asashōryū, until 2012 with the promotion of fellow Mongolian Harumafuji. In March 2021, he became the only active yokozuna once again following the retirement of his rival and fellow Mongolian Kakuryū until the promotion of fellow Mongolian Terunofuji four months later. In January 2015, he broke Taihō's long-standing record by winning his 33rd top division championship, the most in the history of sumo. He holds the records for most wins in the top division, achieved in May 2016, and most career wins, achieved in July 2017. He was the longest-serving yokozuna of all-time, having surpassed Haguroyama's record in 2019, and fought his 1000th bout as a yokozuna in July 2020. He acquired Japanese citizenship in 2019. Hakuhō retired from professional sumo at the end of September 2021, closing out a 20-year career in the sport. Sumo commentator John Gunning noted that Hakuhō left an unmatchable legacy, while a columnist for the Washington Post called him the "greatest figure in sports, maybe ever."

2. Naidangiin Tüvshinbayar (1984 - )

With an HPI of 33.05, Naidangiin Tüvshinbayar is the 2nd most famous Mongolian Wrestler.  His biography has been translated into 23 different languages.

Tuvshinbayar Naidan (Mongolian: Найдангийн Түвшинбаяр born 1 June 1984) is a Mongolian former professional judoka. He is the 2008 Olympic Champion, 2012 Olympic silver medalist, 2014 Asian games champion, 2017 World Championships bronze medalist, 2016 Asian Championships gold medalist, 2007 silver medalist and two-time (2008, 2011) bronze medalist in ‍–‍100 kg division. Naidan is serving a sixteen-year jail term for a 2021 fatal assault on a fellow judoka and childhood friend Erdenebileg Enkhbat.

3. Khashbaataryn Tsagaanbaatar (1984 - )

With an HPI of 29.19, Khashbaataryn Tsagaanbaatar is the 3rd most famous Mongolian Wrestler.  His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.

Khashbaataryn Tsagaanbaatar (Mongolian: Хашбаатарын Цагаанбаатар, born 19 March 1984) is the single medal winner from Mongolia at the 2004 Summer Olympics. He won a bronze medal in judo. He became the first Mongolian to win the gold medal at the World Judo Championships in Rotterdam in 2009. Tsagaanbaatar is also the older brother of LSU quarterback Naimanzuunnadintsetseg Tsagaanbaatar. He also took gold medal in the 2006 Asian Games. Khashbaatar also won a gold medal at the 2007 New York Open in the ‍–‍66 kg weight division. He won with a traditional technique, the kata guruma (shoulder wheel).

4. Dorjsürengiin Sumiyaa (1991 - )

With an HPI of 27.57, Dorjsürengiin Sumiyaa is the 4th most famous Mongolian Wrestler.  Her biography has been translated into 21 different languages.

Dorjsürengiin Sumiyaa or Sumiya Dorjsuren (Mongolian: Доржсүрэнгийн Сумъяа, born 11 March 1991) is a Mongolian judoka. Dorjsürengiin competed in the 57 kg event at the 2012 Summer Olympics and lost in the first round. In Astana 2015, she won her first World Championships medal, a bronze. In the 2016 Olympics she won a silver medal in the women's 57 kg event and won gold at the 2017 World Championships in Budapest. In 2017 World Championships final, Dorjsürengiin defeated Tsukasa Yoshida who had beaten her in the Olympic final. Dorjsürengiin won a bronze medal at the 2018 World Championships, after an unexpected loss in the semi-finals to Nekoda Smythe-Davis. She also competed in the women's 57 kg event at the 2020 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan. Dorjsürengiin has also won multiple medals at the Asian Games (bronze in 2014 and 2018), Asian Championships (gold in 2016, bronze in 2012 and 2013) and is a four-time national champion. Dorjsürengiin's life was the subject of 2017 Mongolian film White Blessing.

5. Mönkhbatyn Urantsetseg (1990 - )

With an HPI of 25.34, Mönkhbatyn Urantsetseg is the 5th most famous Mongolian Wrestler.  Her biography has been translated into 21 different languages.

Mönkhbatyn Urantsetseg (Mongolian: Мөнхбатын Уранцэцэг, born 14 March 1990) is a Mongolian sambist and retired judoka who competed in the 48 kg category, and World Champion in both sports. In 2021, she won one of the bronze medals in the women's 48 kg event at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. In 2013, she became the first female world champion in judo from Mongolia. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, she was defeated in the quarterfinals. At the 2016 Summer Olympics, she lost to Ami Kondo in the bronze medal match. In 2017, she is gold medalist in the Asian Judo Championship and silver medalist in the World Judo Championship. In 2019, she is bronze medalist in the World Judo Championship in Tokyo. In 2021, she won one of the bronze medals in her event at the 2021 Judo World Masters held in Doha, Qatar and the Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan. She is also two-time World Champion in sambo, in 2010 and 2014.

6. Tsend-Ochiryn Tsogtbaatar (1996 - )

With an HPI of 16.72, Tsend-Ochiryn Tsogtbaatar is the 6th most famous Mongolian Wrestler.  His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.

Tsend-Ochiryn Tsogtbaatar (Mongolian: Цэнд-Очирын Цогтбаатар; born 16 March 1996) is a Mongolian judoka. He competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, in the men's 73 kg and won the bronze medal. Prior to the Olympics, he fought the World Junior Championship in 2014 and 2015. He won a bronze medal at the World Cadet Championships in 2013. In 2015, he reached the final of the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam. At the 2021 Judo Grand Slam Abu Dhabi held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, he won the gold medal in his event. He won one of the bronze medals in his event at the 2022 Judo Grand Slam Paris held in Paris, France.