Indian wrestling sensation Ritu Phogat, 24, has joined Evolve MMA’s EVOLVE Fight Team and has signed with ONE Championship where she is making her mixed martial arts debut. The daughter of former wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat, she is the cousin of Vinesh Phogat and Priyanka Phogat and the sister of Geeta, Babita Kumari Phogat and Sangeeta Phogat, who are all wrestling stars.
Ritu was born in Balali, Haryana, India on May 2, 1994. When she was young, she wanted to quit wrestling but thanks to the insistence of her mother is Daya Kaur, she did not quit.
For Ritu, it is both an honor and a privilege to join ONE Championship, which she described as the best and biggest martial arts organization in the world. The Balali native stated, “Wrestling will always be my first love but I feel that it is time to expand my horizons.”
“I am excited to compete against the best mixed martial artists in the world and to bring glory and pride to my home country,” Ritu added. “I also look to prove that Indian martial arts is truly world-class. Thank you, ONE Championship, for the opportunity to share my talent on the global stage.”
Coming from a family of martial artists, Ritu was 8 years old when she started training in wrestling under the guidance of her father. She is a Commonwealth Wrestling Championships Gold Medalist, World U23 Wrestling World Championships Silver Medalist, Asian Wrestling Championships Bronze Medalist and multiple-time Indian National Wrestling Champion.
In 2016, Ritu bagged a gold medal at the Commonwealth Wrestling Championship held in Singapore. In 2017, she took home India’s first silver medal at the prestigious World U23 Wrestling Championships held in Poland. In 2018, she placed fifth at the Wrestling World Championships.
ONE Championship is constantly on the lookout for the world’s greatest martial arts talents, especially in Asia, according to the organization’s chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong stated. He stated, “Women’s wrestling sensation Ritu Phogat embodies the true values of martial arts and is a great fit for our organization.”
“I would like to personally welcome Ritu to the ONE Championship family,” Chatri added. “I’m excited to share Ritu’s story with the world and to showcase Indian martial arts at the highest level on the biggest global stage of martial arts competition in ONE Championship.”
Meanwhile, here is a clip featuring Ritu:
CONAN Daily 