Ritu Phogat Hungry For Victory Against Dangerous Opponent Lin Heqin

Highly regarded ONE Championship female atomweight Ritu Phogat is motivated ahead of her impending return to the ONE Circle.

The 27-year-old is coming off a close split decision defeat last May, at the hands of Vietnamese-American veteran Bi Nguyen. But the Indian wrestling star says she remains undeterred in her quest to reach the pinnacle of her career in mixed martial arts, and believes the loss has helped her grow as a fighter.

“I’ve lost before, during my wrestling days. Winning and losing is a part of sports. That is the past. What has happened, has happened. You can’t change that so why worry about it? You always learn from your wins and your losses, especially from your losses,” Phogat said.

“I have learned a great deal from losing my last match and I will keep on learning. It was a fantastic experience and I will take that experience into my next match. Every fight makes you a better fighter. You can’t have success if you stop growing. Growth is constant.”

Phogat appears laser-focused on her next assignment. “The Indian Tigress” is scheduled to face dangerous Chinese foe “MMA Sister” Lin Heqin at ONE: BATTLEGROUND, which broadcasts live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore on Friday, 30 July.

Phogat knows the sort of threats Heqin poses in this fight. Heqin is a former WMMAA Champion and is a Sanda specialist. The Chinese fighter’s 14-2-1 professional record is also an asset, and she clearly has the advantage in experience over Phogat.

“She is a very good fighter and also has more experience than me. But I have that hunger in me that ignites my performance on any given day. So I will keep that momentum going within me,” Phogat said.

“I’ve studied her and I have prepared accordingly. I prefer not to comment on my opponent’s strengths and weaknesses. I’m going to let my performance do the talking.”

Earlier this year, Phogat was slated to compete in the much-anticipated ONE Women’s Atomweight World Grand Prix. However, the loss to Nguyen cost her a spot in the eight-participant bracket.

Now, Phogat is looking to make a statement and perhaps fight her way back into the tournament.

“I want to do my bit and get a win out of this next fight. That’s my goal and that’s what I’m working towards. If that win takes me back to the Grand Prix, then I will embrace that with open arms,” Phogat said.

“To be honest, I don’t want to say I’m the better fighter. I just want to win so that I can prove I am better. You’ll have to wait and watch.”

ONE: BATTLEGROUND marks ONE Championship’s much-anticipated return in the second half of 2021. In the main event, Thai legend Sam-A Gaiyanghadao defends his ONE Strawweight Muay Thai World Title against young phenom Prajanchai PK.Saenchai Muaythaigym.

In the co-main event, former two-division ONE World Champion Aung La N Sang takes on Leandro Ataides in a pivotal middleweight clash.

Also featured on the card is highly regarded female atomweight Victoria Lee, who will see action against Wang Luping.