SINGAPORE: MMA promotion Evolve Mixed Martial Arts Monday announced that wrestling champion and Indian star Ritu Phogat has joined the Evolve Fight Team.
Phogat is a Commonwealth Wrestling Championships Gold medalist, U-23 Wrestling World Championships Silver medalist, Asian Wrestling Championships Bronze medalist, and multiple-time Indian national wrestling champion.
Haryana’s Phogat is one of India’s top sporting stars, having finished 5th at the 2018 Wrestling World Championships despite only being 24 years old. Wrestling since the age of eight, she has had over 300 wrestling matches and competed in the world’s top wrestling competitions, such as the Wrestling World Championships, Commonwealth Wrestling Championships, Asian Wrestling Championships, Yasar Dogu International, and the Pro Wrestling League.
In 2016, she was the most expensive female wrestler at the Pro Wrestling League auction. She is a member of the famous Phogat family, whose story was immortalized in the blockbuster film Dangal, India’s highest grossing film of all time. Her sisters Geeta Phogat, Babita Phogat, Sangeeta Phogat, and cousin Vinesh Phogat are also wrestling champions.
“I am excited to have moved to Singapore to begin my new journey in mixed martial arts as a member of the Evolve Fight Team. My managers Birbal Sports introduced me to Evolve and convinced me that this is the future. I look forward to the challenge of learning the various martial arts and broadening my skill set as a mixed martial artist. I believe Evolve MMA is the perfect place for me to make the transition into mixed martial arts and I am excited to learn from all the World Champions here in Singapore. I have a dream of becoming India’s first ever World Champion in mixed martial arts and can’t wait to represent India on the global stage and make my nation proud,” said Ritu Phogat.
“MMA is very popular among the youth today and we wish to introduce the best to the Indian audiences. This is the first step for India’s foray into the world of MMA and Evolve is the best fit for our Champion Ritu Phogat to convert into an MMA fighter. We wish Ritu becomes the first world champion for India,” said Ronak Dalal, co-founder Birbal Sports and Entertainment, the sports marketing agency that manages Ms Phogat.
