"Phogat can take Stamp to the ground and drown her there" - Alain Ngalani picks Indian wrestler to win atomweight Grand Prix

Alain Ngalani thinks Ritu Phogat will defeat Stamp Fairtex in the ONE Women’s Atomweight World Grand Prix Championship Final.

The Cameroonian mixed martial artist and kickboxer believes Phogat’s legitimate threat on the ground is something that will trouble Stamp in their fight at ONE: Winter Warriors on December 3.

Both atomweight athletes have deservingly earned their spot in the prestigious women's tournament since it kicked off at ONE: Empower in September. Phogat booked her place in the final after two convincing displays against Chinese fighter Meng Bo and the Philippines’ Jenelyn Olsim. Stamp, meanwhile, sealed her place in the final following memorable outings over Ukraine’s Alyona Rassohyna and Brazil’s Julie Mezabarba.

Alain Ngalani did not have much to say about Stamp’s chances when asked about the final's potential outcome. He confidently suggested Phogat will emerge as the victor of the contest.

Speaking to ONE Championship in a recent interview, Alain Ngalani said:

“I think Ritu Phogat is very smart. I think that she is probably going to take this. She’s probably going to manage to bring Stamp to the ground. Stamp’s groundwork has improved tremendously, but still, I think Ritu will be able to cause her trouble downstairs. She can probably take it to the ground and drown her there.”

Alain Ngalani’s bold prediction is not just a wild guess. He fully understands Phogat’s abilities on the ground and knows that Stamp has a lot of work to do in that department.

The Thai athlete herself admitted that she has to be very well-prepared against Phogat’s wrestling prowess, an attribute that has helped the Indian star record seven victories in eight professional MMA fights.

A victory for Phogat in the ONE Women’s Atomweight World Grand Prix Championship Final will see her catapulted to the top of the atomweight ranks. Once there, Phogat, currently the no. 4-ranked fighter in the division, will have a shot at reigning ONE women’s atomweight world champion ‘Unstoppable’ Angela Lee.

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Alain Ngalani breaks down another interesting clash at ONE: Winter Warriors

As well as the co-main event showdown between Phogat and Stamp, Alain Ngalani also shared his views on the heavyweight clash between Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida and Kang Ji Won.

‘Buchecha', widely-considered the most accomplished Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighter of all, time, returns to the Circle following his outstanding MMA debut against Anderson ‘Braddock’ Silva at ONE: Revolution in September. The grappling icon dominated the contest, needing only 2:55 of the opening frame to submit his Brazilian countryman via north-south choke.

Kang, on the other hand, has put the heavyweight division on alert with back-to-back first-round knockouts of Iranian superstars Amir Aliakbari and Mehdi Barghi. The South Korean is a perfect 5-0 in his career, finishing all five of those matches via first-round knockout.

Alain Ngalani couldn’t pick a clear winner between the two, but had this to say:

“Obviously, if ‘Buchecha’ takes it to the ground and drowns Kang Ji, then that’s it, right? But if Kang Ji manages to keep it standing, he might be able to get an upset. As I say, it’s the all-time classic, striker versus grappler, so I’m very curious and very excited to see what could – or what’s going to – happen.”