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The cast of the ONE women's atomweight Grand Prix finale is set. Ritu Phogat and Stamp Fairtex came out of their respective semi-final bouts and are now focused on their collision course in the finals. The winner will earn the right to face current champion Angela Lee.
Phogat was the first fighter to enter the Grand Prix finals. 'The Indian Tigress' was supposed to face Itsuki Hirata, but Team Lakay's Jenelyn Olsim replaced the Japanese four days before the bout.
Nonetheless, Ritu Phogat dominated the fight and picked up a unanimous decision. With the win, Phogat's professional record improved to 6-1.
Her only loss came at the hands of Bi Nguyen. She bounced back, accruing a three-fight winning streak. Aside from Olsim, Phogat secured victories over Heqin Lin and Meng Bo.
Speaking about her opponent in the final, Ritu Phogat said:
"It’s definitely going to be challenging for me but I’m ready," said Phogat. "I’ve got my game face on and I am going to prove to everyone that I deserve to be here and that I’m the best in the atomweight category. I will do everything that it takes for me to defeat Stamp Fairtex."
Stamp Fairtex working on her ground game ahead of ONE Grand Prix finals
In her semi-final bout, Stamp Fairtex was able to secure a unanimous decision victory over Brazilian grappler Julie Mezabarba. The Thai fighter kept her opponent at bay with her Muay Thai skills.
Stamp Fairtex was also able to hold her own on the ground against Mezabarba. After seeing Phogat fight, however, she admits that her grappling skills need to improve.
"I definitely need to train more, especially with my takedowns and my game plan. In the ring in the next fight, I will be facing Ritu and my game plan needs to be better than hers in order for me to win," said Fairtex.
Stamp avenged her lone career loss to Alyona Rassohyna in her last outing before the Grand Prix semi-finals.
