Indian Superstar Ritu Phogat Returns To MMA, Faces Itsuki Hirata At ONE 173

Add as a preferred source on Google

"The Indian Tigress" is set to roar back into action as ONE Championship has announced the return of Indian MMA superstar Ritu Phogat. She will square off against Japan's Itsuki Hirata at ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri on 16 November.

This three-round atomweight MMA fight will broadcast live from the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan. The high-profile bout serves as an opportunity for both fighters to re-establish themselves in the stacked women's atomweight MMA division.

Following in the footsteps of her elder sisters Geeta and Babita Phogat, the 31-year-old achieved tremendous success in amateur wrestling. However, she took an unprecedented step by transitioning to MMA, making a successful debut in November 2019.

She used her dominant wrestling game to dictate opponents, scoring seven victories in eight fights. During this period, her only loss came against Bi Nguyen in a controversial decision that could have gone either way.

In December 2021, she faced former three-sport ONE World Champion Stamp Fairtex in the prestigious ONE Atomweight World Grand Prix Championship Final, where Phogat suffered a submission loss. She later endured another setback via submission against Tiffany Teo.

She took a break from fighting, got married in November 2022, and welcomed a baby boy in 2024. "The Indian Tigress" made her return in February 2025 against Ayaka Miura but suffered another loss in the very first round.

Now, Phogat will leave no stone unturned in her bid to return to winning ways. However, she faces another Japanese fighter who earlier this month defeated Indian fighter Arti Khatri. Hirata also went through a rough patch in her career but has now bounced back with a victory.

Known as "Android 18," she claimed five emphatic victories in her first six bouts under the ONE Championship banner. She then went on to lose three consecutive bouts during 2023-24 period.

With chips on their shoulders, Phogat and Hirata will use every trick in their books to secure a victory and continue their climb to the top of the division.