Wrestler-turned-Mixed Martial Arts fighter Ritu Phogat says she’s focused on putting in the hard yards to achieve her dream of becoming India’s first MMA world champion. Ritu, who had won the 2016 Commonwealth Wrestling Championships gold and, silver at the 2017 World Under-23 Championships, won her debut MMA fight beating South Korea’s Nam Hee Kim in under three minutes. The 25-year-old from Haryana, daughter of the legendary wrestling coach Mahavir Singh Phogat, will next feature in her second MMA bout on February 28 in Singapore.
Speaking to nnis, Mahavir Phogat said both Ritu and Vinesh are of the same weight but Ritu got beaten by Vinesh twice during fights which disheartened her. She sought permission from him to move into MMA and make a name for herself.
