Singapore, Feb 6
Indian mixed-martial-arts fighter Ritu Phogat, who will be making her return to the sport this month, said that her biggest motivation is her baby and she looks forward to making a strong comeback in the sport after a dip in form and embracing motherhood.Former Asian Championships medalist wrestler turned MMA fighter, Ritu will be competing in her first fight since giving birth at ONE Championship against Japan’s Ayaka Miura on February 20.
Having contested her last fight in September 2022 and having lost her previous two fights, Ritu will be aiming to get her record back on track with a triumphant win.Speaking to ANI recently, Ritu expressed her excitement about the upcoming bout and looks forward to making a strong comeback.
“I am very excited for the bout since I was away from action for two years. Any athlete cannot stay away from his/her sport for so long. I had the same feeling too. I wanted to make a strong comeback and I am looking forward to it,” said Ritu. Ritu said that after becoming a mother, one has a “second birth” and this affected her training and preparation for the bout.”My body became very weak. I had to work hard to bring my body back to the same strength. It was a big challenge for me to bring my body back to the same strength. Currently, my fitness is good. My training is also going well. I am doing my training out of the country. On Monday morning, I do kickboxing. In the evening, I do Jiu-Jitsu. On Tuesday, I do strength conditioning. On Wednesday, I do wrestling. I do training for 4-5 hours a day. I do training for 6 days a week,” said Ritu detailing her training. She said that right now, her biggest motivation is her baby.”My biggest motivation is my baby. I want him to know how hard his mother worked for him,” she said.
