As ‘Indian Tigress’ Ritu Phogat sets off to her next victory at ONE: Dangal on 15 May, her father Mahavir Phogat opened up about her upcoming match and life beyond the circle in a first-of-its-kind virtual interaction.
Phogat is scheduled to face Bi Nguyen at ONE: Dangal, a tape-delayed event from the Singapore Indoor Stadium that will air on screens on 15 May.
Talking about ONE: Dangal, Ritu Phogat said, “It is a special IP for the Indian market as it celebrates a host of Indian Mixed Martial Arts athletes and presents them on a global stage. It reflects India’s resilience, fighting spirit, and her mettle to take challenges head on. It also goes on to show that the future of MMA is India, and that we have the potential and the muscle to add a new dimension to the sport.”
On being regarded as the Indian Khabib Nurmagomedov, she said, “I look up to him. I love his control over his opponents and his ‘explosive’ aura in the circle.”
Talking about his daughter’s move to MMA and making Singapore her second home, veteran Indian wrestler, Mahavir Phogat said, “I have full faith in Ritu and the way she is training. I know she has been practising hard and I am confident that she will leave no stone unturned in bringing glory to her country.”
When asked about how she has been dealing with the lockdown in Singapore, she said, “It has been over a year since I was in India and I miss home dearly. I’ve lost out on so much time with my family, but all of this has made me stronger. My father constantly reminds me why I have come to Singapore, he makes sure that I never lose sight of my goal.”
Colenges Filipino-American superstar Brandon “The Truth” Vera for the ONE Heavyweight World Title. Catch Ritu’s bout on Star Sports Select 2, Star Sports First, and Disney+ Hotstar on Saturday, 15th May, 3:30 pm onwards.