Former wrestler turned MMA athlete Ritu Phogat is gearing up for a fight against Nou Srey Pov of Cambodia. The bout will take place later this month as part of the ONE: Inside the Matrix event, and Ritu is focused on coming away with a victory.
er turned MMA fighter Ritu Phogat is all set to face the Cambodian fighter Nou Srey Pov inside the octagon later this month in the ONE: Inside the Matrix event. Ritu recently spoke about the preparation, anticipation surrounded around the bout as she aims to return victorious out of the cage.
Ritu opened up about the struggles of training during the pandemic, noting that the transition was quite difficult. Without her sisters and father by her side during practice, polishing her technical skills became a challenge. While the nature of contact sports like grappling led to a total standstill in competitions, she relied on her coaches' video guidance to stay sharp. Now that lockdowns have lifted and gym access has returned, her training has regained its momentum. She views this upcoming fight as an opportunity to demonstrate the all-around athletic capability of Indians, particularly through her enhanced striking game.
For a year and a half now, Ritu has been based in Singapore on her own, immersing herself fully in her MMA training.
With One Championship planning a Grand Prix tournament next year featuring eight elite fighters, Ritu has set her sights high. Winning a world title in MMA is her ultimate goal, and she is determined to qualify for the tournament and eventually emerge as the champion.
Known as the 'Indian Tigress,' Ritu is flattered that her fans compare her to Khabib Nurmagomedov. She views him as a massive source of motivation and strives to emulate his success, specifically studying his ground-game dominance through videos to improve her own fight control. When asked about inspirations outside the world of MMA, she pointed to cricket star Virat Kohli.
Regarding her strategy for the next fight, Ritu wants to move beyond her reputation as a wrestler. Her goal is to surprise her opponent with an unexpected approach, proving to the world that her skill set extends far beyond just wrestling.