ONE Championship: Ritu Phogat backs Meng Bo to defeat Samara Santos in atomweight showdown
Ritu Phogat is an Indian wrestler, who has now become a mixed martial artist. She features in the ONE Championship and is currently unbeaten, with a 4-0 record. She looks to challenge for the Atomweight Championship in the coming days.
FollowRitu “The Indian Tigress” Phogat is off to a great start to her Mixed Martial Arts career, as she is currently unbeaten 4-0 in the octagon. Meanwhile, she will have her eyes on the upcoming women’s Atomweight Championship bout between Meng Bo from China and former ONE World Title challenger, Samara “Marituba” Santos from Brazil. Phogat believes that she could face either of the two in the future and challenge for the title as well.
Phogat is, of course, one of the most promising young mixed martial arts talents, primed for a breakout year, and ONE is more than willing to thrust “The Indian Tigress” into gradually more stringent tests, as she progresses in her career.
There’s an excellent chance Phogat could face Meng Bo or Santos very soon, although the Indian star already knows who she’s picking to win this highly-anticipated bout. “Both women are tremendous athletes. I’ve seen them compete and I’m quite impressed. One is a very strong Chinese champion, the other is a Muay Thai and jiu-jitsu expert. It’s going to be an interesting fight for sure, and I’m excited to see how it plays out,” said Phogat.
“I’d have to lean towards Meng Bo in this one. Her boxing, combined with her wrestling, is a tough combo to surpass. She should have just enough to put together a spectacular performance,” she added.
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At just 24 years old, Meng Bo has already accomplished a lot in her career, despite the young age. With a stellar professional record of 15-5-0, which includes ten finishes, Meng is undoubtedly a dangerous fighter. She also owns the distinction of being the only fighter to have beaten current UFC Women’s Strawweight World Champion “Magnum” Weili Zhang.
Phogat herself has been impressed by what she has seen from Meng Bo in her time inside the ONE Circle. “Meng Bo is a fantastic athlete. I love how she knows exactly how to fight according to her strengths. She’s also consistently getting better. I know we haven’t seen much of her in ONE because her fights have ended so quickly, but there has to be a lot more she can offer,” said Phogat.
“She’s a proven finisher, so that’s a dangerous thing. Having expertise in both boxing and wrestling is quite the lethal combination,” she continued.
Meng Bo and Santos square off at ONE: UNBREAKABLE, ONE Championship’s first live event of 2021, scheduled for Friday, 22 January at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore. Phogat invites all of her fans in India to catch all the action.
“Everyone should tune into ONE Championship, because it’s the greatest martial arts show on the planet. The high level of skill and talent on display is something everyone will surely enjoy,” Phogat concluded.
