Alain “The Panther” Ngalani believes Indian wrestling sensation Ritu “The Indian Tigress” Phogat has the skills to hand Stamp Fairtex a defeat in the ONE Women’s Atomweight World Grand Prix Championship Final.
The two meet in the co-main event of ONE: WINTER WARRIORS on 3 December, and “The Panther,” an avid fan of both stars, feels that Phogat holds the advantage over the Thai striking dynamo – with her world-class wrestling being the main difference between the two.
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“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,” the Hong Kong-based athlete said.
“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.”
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Is Alain Ngalani right?
Ngalani’s prediction is far from a wild guess. The heavyweight mixed martial arts and kickboxing star has analyzed both athletes very closely. And though Stamp does possess an advantage over Phogat in striking, he does not believe the match will be contested in that department.
The Thai athlete herself admitted that she has to be very prepared for “The Indian Tigress’” wrestling prowess, which has helped the #4-ranked atomweight contender attain seven victories in eight professional MMA bouts.
What would a win for Ritu Phogat mean?
A win for Phogat in the final will earn her the coveted silver belt, undoubtedly see her climb the rankings, and will ensure that she is the first to get a shot at “Unstoppable” Angela Lee’s atomweight gold when Lee returns to action next year.
Both Phogat and Stamp sealed their ticket into the inaugural Grand Prix final after convincing displays in the semifinals at ONE: NEXTGEN on 29 October.
“The Indian Tigress” advanced into the final following a dominant unanimous decision win over Team Lakay’s Jenelyn Olsim, while the Fairtex representative booked her spot after a striking masterclass against Brazilian Julie Mezabarba.
Along with the conclusion of the historic tournament, ONE: WINTER WARRIORS will see the return of ONE Lightweight Kickboxing World Champion Regian “The Immortal” Eersel, who defends his strap against Russian sensation Islam Murtazaev in the main event of the evening.
