'I believe Stamp Fairtex is more dangerous now' - Bi Nguyen predicts Stamp Fairtex vs. Ritu Phogat Grand Prix Final

Vietnamese-American ONE atomweight ‘Killer Bee’ Bi Nguyen will be watching intently as the ONE Women’s atomweight World Grand Prix Championship Final concludes this Friday night.

No. 2-ranked atomweight contender Stamp Fairtex of Thailand will battle No. 4-ranked atomweight Ritu Phogat of India in the co-main event feature at ONE: Winter Warriors, which broadcasts live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium on December 3rd.

Bi Nguyen is a common opponent of both women, so she has an idea of who could come out the victor.

Speaking to ONE Championship in a recent interview, Bi Nguyen shared her thoughts on the highly anticipated matchup.

“I believe Stamp [Fairtex] is more dangerous now. She has improved on the ground immensely. Ritu [Phogat] has done well, but I believe Stamp has become more well-rounded,” Bi Nguyen said on her initial breakdown of the match.

Bi Nguyen faced Stamp in 2019, losing a unanimous decision to the former ONE atomweight kickboxing and Muay Thai world champion. She then fought a much closer fight against Phogat earlier this year, coming out on top with a narrow split decision win on the judges’ scorecards.

Having faced both women, Bi Nguyen knows what it will take for either of them to win the Grand Prix final.

“If I was Stamp, I would work on my footwork. You cannot stand still against a high level wrestler like Ritu. If Stamp could move more, she would do a lot of damage with her strikes,” Bi Nguyen said.

“On the other end, Ritu needs to tighten up her defense coming in for the takedown. She needs to get Stamp down, and keep her down.”

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Bi Nguyen believes Stamp Fairtex has a better shot at beating Angela Lee

The ONE Women’s atomweight World Grand Prix kicked off in early September at ONE: Empower, with eight of the best atomweights in ONE looking to earn a shot at Angela Lee’s ONE women’s atomweight world title.

We are now down to just Stamp Fairtex and Ritu Phogat. The winner on Friday night will face Lee sometime in 2022, when the Singaporean-American superstar makes her highly anticipated comeback.

Bi Nguyen thinks Stamp has the skills necessary to upend Angela Lee and take the title when the opportunity presents itself.

“It’s hard to say because stylistically, they are both dangerous for each other. Being that I’ve fought both, I would say Stamp,” Bi Nguyen explained.

“I think stylistically, Stamp has a better chance [at beating Angela Lee]. She has more tools. You can try to defend on the ground against Angela, but she can also beat Angela on the feet, whereas Ritu will have a hard time because her strength is wrestling, and Angela is a dangerous submission artist.”