Ritu Phogat Is Ready To Face Anyone Next, Including Stamp Fairtex

ONE Championship women’s atomweight up-and-comer, and the Commonwealth Wrestling Championships gold medalist, Ritu Phogat, has seen her rise up the ranks go on hold during the coronavirus. The 25-year-old trains, who trains at Evolve MMA gym in Singapore, began her professional mixed martial arts career last year and is currently 2-0.

Talking to ONE Championship, Phogat described her training routine during the coronavirus pandemic, and explained how she is managing to improve her skills under these conditions.

“I have kept a schedule for myself, and I am following it strictly,” she said. “The schedule includes functional training like yoga, cardio, and strength. My coach gave me a few drills to do at home to sharpen my focus and movements, and eventually it will help in improving my skills. Also, I am shadow boxing and practicing my kicks a few times a week to improve my movements.”

Once things go back to normal, Phogat expressed an ambition to compete against anybody and everybody in her division.

“Every athlete in ONE Championship who I haven’t faced before in my weight category, I would like to face them one at a time. Whichever opponent ONE and my coaches deem fit for me, I am open to face them.”

And that includes a potential matchup with Stamp Fairtex, the current ONE atomweight Muay Thai champion, who is 4-0 into her mixed martial arts journey.

Stamp is a very talented athlete,” Phogat said. “I really like her zeal for martial arts. She is already a World Champion in two sports, and there is so much to learn from her. If I happen to have a match with her, it would be really exciting for everyone, including for both of us.

“We both have our strengths. She has more experience in the Circle than me right now, but I think both of us will have to adapt to different styles, as she is very good in Muay Thai and kickboxing, so she will definitely take the game to her strengths. When I face her, I have to definitely step up my game in striking.”

According to ‘The Indian Tigress’, a match with Stamp would be another step towards her ultimate goal of becoming India’s first ever mixed martial arts world champion.

“As I said, she is a very, very good athlete, and of course when the time comes, I would love to compete against her. My dream is to become World Champion one day and to do that, I have to go up against every top athlete here and win. So whenever ONE decides to get me a match with Stamp, I promise you I will be ready to face her.”

Although Phogat is eager to compete, she acknowledges that these are difficult times for all of us, and stated that we first need to lead a battle against the coronavirus as one.

“Of course I want to perform competitively, but the world is going through a tough time and first, we all need to fight the virus together. Once we come out victorious together, the world will once again witness the beauty of martial arts. We all are in this together, and we will overcome it together.”

Phogat is coming off a unanimous decision win over Wu Chiao Chen at ONE: King of the Jungle, back in February.

Who would you like to see Ritu Phogat face next?


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