Angela Lee thinks it’s "just the beginning" for Ritu Phogat after the Indian fighter’s recent setback

‘Unstoppable’ Angela Lee isn’t shy about giving out words of encouragement, even for potential future opponents.

After Indian wrestling superstar Ritu Phogat’s loss to Stamp Fairtex in the ONE Women’s Atomweight World Grand Prix Championship Final, the reigning champion was quick to say how impressed she was with ‘The Indian Tigress’. She assured Phogat that her most recent setback wasn't the end of the road.

Speaking during an interview with ONE Championship, Angela Lee discussed Phogat’s potential.

“I mean, this is not the end of the road. It's just the beginning for her. It was a great opportunity and to be in the finals of the [ONE Women’s Atomweight World] Grand Prix Championship, that's impressive on its own. So, she should be proud of herself and how far she made it. And I think that after this match, she’s just got to go back to the gym, keep training and keep working on evolving her game.”

Despite the loss to Stamp, the future does indeed look bright for Phogat.

Angela Lee, on the other hand, is in the midst of a comeback. The 25-year-old Singaporean-American superstar is looking to return to action in early 2022 to defend her atomweight belt against the Thai dynamo.

---

Angela Lee talks about battling cage rust and returning to form

Many of the questions surrounding Angela Lee’s impending return are whether or not she can come back to her previous form, or be an even better fighter than when she left.

Of course, having been away from action since October 2019, it has certainly been a while since Angela Lee was able to do what she loves most. Whether or not cage rust will become a factor, Angela Lee says she’s doing her best to make sure it won’t matter.

“You know what, I think that there are some things that are true and there are some things that are untrue when it comes to being away from fighting for a few years. I've been champion since 2016. I know what it takes to get to the title and I know what it takes to defend the title. So when I'm preparing to make my comeback, I'm going to be going above and beyond what needs to be done to make sure that you don't see any kind of ring rust when I step in that cage. It's going to be a lot of hard work, but I'm ready for that.

“I know that these girls have been actively competing. Stamp has been fighting back-to-back for the past year, so I know that that's definitely going to be to her advantage and that's what's going to motivate me to train even harder during this fight camp.”

Highly motivated and ready to prove that she’s still queen of the atomweight division, for Angela Lee, 2022 can’t come soon enough.