Ritu Phogat wins third straight MMA title at ONE Championship

India’s Ritu Phogat won her third straight MMA championship title after defeating Cambodia’s Nou Srey Pov with a technical knockout (TKO) in the second round at One: Inside The Matrix event in Singapore on Friday. The event featured four World Championship contests at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

The former grappler won by a TKO after the referee halted the fight two minutes into the second round. She put on a dominant performance in the first round with precision strikes. The 26-year-old used her skills as a wrestler to counter Pov’s fast strikes.

“It feels great to have a hat-trick in my MMA career. The challenges I faced during the pandemic have paid off,” Ritu Phogat said after her win. She also thanked her fans, family and friends for their support.

“I would also want to thank my coach who has played an important role in my MMA journey. I am looking forward to the Grand Prix where I have a shot at the world championship title,” she said.

However, she added that she still had a long way to go and wants to improve her striking and ground techniques before facing her next opponent.

The Commonwealth gold medallist, who also goes by the name ‘Indian Tigress’, had announced her decision to compete in mixed martial arts last year.

Phogat made her MMA and ONE Championship debut in November last year with a first-round win. She then followed it up with a resounding decision victory in February this year against Chinese Taipei’s Wu Chiao Chen.