By Jun Ray Navarres
Undefeated rising star Ritu “The Indian Tigress” Phogat on full alert against Filipina athlete Jomary “The Zamboanginian Fighter” Torres in their upcoming fight at ONE: BIG BANG on December 4.
Phogat has been training with the world champions from Evolve MMA to enhance her arsenal with striking, cultivating her over-all skill set to compliment her grappling. Phogat believes her next fight is going to be her toughest yet.
“Torres is really good, and it is going to be an interesting match. She is going to be a challenge for me. I have watched her fights, and she is good. I respect her a lot, but I trust my training and hard work,” shared Phogat.
“I am hoping that my ground game trumps her game. I hope that whoever is watching, they see me as doing something different. I would surely like to do something different this time.”
Meanwhile, Torres is under the watchful eye of former ONE World Title contender Rene Catalan, founder of Catalan Fighting System and is known as a first-class wushu striker. She shocked ONE promotion in her debut but failed to establish a corner stone later on.
On the other hand, Phogat only needed two rounds to overcome Cambodian Nou Srey Pov last October to maintain a clean undefeated record. The Indian national wrestling champion wants to continue her momentum with the face-off versus a SEA Games Sambo Medalist Torres.
“I feel good. It’s important to maintain the momentum. I was able to compete again after eight months, so now I’m feeling great and super fit. It’s good to be back,” said Phogat.
“My goal is to get better with every fight. I want to invite fans to watch my next fight, so you can see how much better I have gotten.”
Phogat says that no matter the outcome, fans will be happy with how this match plays out. Fighting for the pride of India, Phogat is motivated to continue making her country proud on the global stage.
“In MMA, you need to be well-prepared in all martial arts skills. You need to take the fight where you have strengths, and also have to work on countering your opponent’s strengths. It’s a complex dance. I will enjoy this fight and I hope fans enjoy it too,” Phogat explained.
“As always, expect the best. I am going all in for this one and I will ensure people who watch us will have a great time. Fan support really motivates me and ignites me to perform even better. I fight for my country and when my nation is behind me, it is a blessing.”
Follow the writer on Twitter: @burnsports
