‘The Indian Tigress’ recently suffered a loss against Stamp Fairtex in the women’s atomweight Grand Prix final at ONE: WINTER WARRIORS. While most Ritu Phogat supporters were disheartened, some remained optimistic. One such ardent advocate includes the former UFC two-division champion, Conor McGregor.
The 27-year-old athlete aimed to create history by becoming the first Indian woman to win a World Grand Prix. However, Phogat succumbed to Stamp’s improving grappling skills, losing the fight via submission (armbar) in the second round.
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It was something unexpected and shocking to the world of MMA as the Fairtex representative defeated the Indian wrestling sensation at her own game.
Nevertheless, an elite athlete like Phogat won’t need much time to bounce back from this loss and put herself back on the map for a title shot. And Conor McGregor thinks the same.
It is a secret to none that the ‘Notorious’ one was rooting for ‘The Indian Tigress’ to win the Grand Prix. Despite Phogat losing, McGregor remained optimistic and had a motivating message for the 27-year-old athlete.
Hard luck today Ritu Phogat! A setback for a greater comeback! Let’s go Ritu! Let’s go India! We march on! 🇮🇳 ❤️ ☘️ https://t.co/QP1qINsrUD
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) December 3, 2021
McGregor, on his Twitter, said – “Hard luck today Ritu Phogat! A setback for a greater comeback! Let’s go Ritu! Let’s go India! We march on!”
Can Ritu Phogat bounce back from this loss?
Phogat’s loss against Stamp was the second of her MMA career. She first lost to Bi Nguyen at ONE: DANGAL on May 15, 2021. However, ‘The Indian Tigress’ didn’t go down easy, losing the fight via a split decision.
Since her loss against Nguyen, Phogat immediately bounced back and claimed three consecutive victories to make it through the Grand Prix final. It only proves that the Indian wrestling sensation can make a great comeback.
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Thus, there is no doubt about her bouncing back from losing the Grand Prix final against Stamp. Furthermore, she is still one of the best top contenders in the atomweight division. It only means she is a couple of wins away from securing herself a title shot in the near future.
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What do you make of Conor McGregor’s message to Ritu Phogat? Do you think ‘The Indian Tigress’ can bounce back from this loss?