Indian wrestling prodigy and rising ONE Championship star Ritu “The Indian Tigress” Phogat will be fixated on the proceedings surrounding the promotion’s first live show of 2021. An upcoming women’s atomweight showdown between China’s Meng Bo and Brazilian former ONE World Title challenger Samara “Marituba” Santos is of great interest to the 26-year-old, as both women are possible future opponents for Phogat.
Phogat is, of course, one of the most promising young mixed martial arts talents primed for a breakout year, and ONE is more than willing to thrust “The Indian Tigress” into gradually tougher tests as she progresses in her career.
There’s a great chance Phogat could face Meng Bo or Santos very soon, although the Indian star already knows who she’s picking to win this highly-anticipated bout.
“Both women are tremendous athletes. I’ve seen them compete and I’m quite impressed. One is a very strong Chinese champion, the other is a Muay Thai and jiu-jitsu expert. It’s going to be an interesting fight for sure, and I’m excited to see how it plays out,” said Phogat.
“I’d have to lean towards Meng Bo in this one. Her boxing combined with her wrestling is a tough combo to surpass. She should have just enough to put together a spectacular performance.”
At just 24 years old, Meng Bo has already accomplished a lot in her career, despite the young age. With a stellar professional record of 15-5-0, which includes 10 finishes, Meng is no doubt a dangerous fighter. She also owns the distinction of being the only fighter to have beaten current UFC Women’s Strawweight World Champion “Magnum” Weili Zhang.
Phogat herself has been impressed by what she has seen from Meng Bo in her time inside the ONE Circle.
“Meng Bo is a fantastic athlete. I love how she knows exactly how to fight according to her strengths. She’s also consistently getting better. I know we haven’t seen much of her in ONE because her fights have ended so quickly, but there has to be a lot more she can offer,” said Phogat.
“She’s a proven finisher, so that’s a dangerous thing. Having expertise in both boxing and wrestling is quite the lethal combination.”
Meng Bo and Santos square off at ONE: UNBREAKABLE, ONE Championship’s first live event of 2021, scheduled for Friday, 22 January at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore.
Phogat invites all of her fans in India to catch all the action.
“Everyone should tune in to ONE Championship because it’s the greatest martial arts show on the planet. The high level of skill and talent on display is something everyone will surely enjoy,” Phogat concluded.