Hyderabad: "My heart is in the right place and my passion is undeterred to expedite India’s run in the MMA space," said Ritu Phogat after vanquishing Jomary Torres at One: Big Bang, remaining undefeated at her pro MMA record of 4-0.
The statement speaks volumes of Ritu's resolve of making big in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).
The Indian Tigress, as she is now fondly called, in an exclusive interview with ETV Bharat talked about why she left a promising career in wrestling and what it takes to become an MMA fighter.
Excerpts:
Q. How much help did you get from your wrestling background and how difficult was the transition from wrestling to MMA?
A. I had a huge benefit in MMA due to my background in wrestling. If we go by the top six or seven fighters in MMA, most of them have a background in wrestling. A wrestler can easily benefit in Mixed Martial Arts.
Q. What was your father's (Mahavir Singh Phogat) reaction when you told him that you have decided to switch to MMA?
A. I used to watch Mixed Martial Arts a lot on YouTube and found it very different, which is what attracted me to the sport. I didn't have any idea about the training centres in India. I used to like watching the fights. I watched Khabib a lot fighting against his opponents and always wondered why there is no one representing India. Why there is no champion or a fighter from our country. But then an opportunity came from Asia's biggest gym. They asked me to join them as I was interested in the game.
During that time, I was doing very well in wrestling and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics was also around the corner. I first had a chat with my sisters and they talked to my father regarding this. My sisters were also concerned about the Olympics but I told them that I don't want to miss out on the opportunity. They showed support after I told them I am interested in MMA. They discussed this with my father and he supported me completely. He never said no to anything. My father said...be it wrestling or MMA, the focus should be to do well for the country. I am doing well for the country because of all the support I have got throughout.
Q. In the women's atom division, is there any particular fighter you would like to fight in the future?
A. The 52-kg weight category has always been tough for me because the fighters I have faced have always come up with a new challenge. There is always a challenge and I can't take anyone lightly. They also come with full preparation. If you ask me who I would like to face in the future, I will say I am doing the hardwork and as an athlete. I am always ready regardless of who the opponent is.
Q. You have won four fights in One Championship so far. A great achievement, nevertheless. Tell us, how are you preparing for future matches and your dream to hold MMA World Championship.
A. Firstly, thank you. I have learnt from all my four matches. You can witness my improvement in every match. My confidence has increased after the recent fourth win. I am reaching towards my goal step by step. My coach has been putting a lot of effort into me and improving my skills on a daily basis. My dream is to bring a championship belt for the country. I want to do this for the people of our country who have been dreaming of this. I am doing all the hardwork it requires and working on areas I lack and pushing myself more where my strength lies.
By Ayushmaan Pandey
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