Advertisement

Conor McGregor rooting for ONE Championship’s Ritu Phogat against Stamp Fairtex in grand prix final

  • ‘Rooting for the Indians to make a stamp in this game soon,’ Irish superstar says, acknowledging Phogat’s win over Jenelyn Olsim
  • Former UFC double champ gets response from Indian-Canadian Arjan Bhullar, the reigning ONE heavyweight king

Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
Stamp Fairtex (right) stares down Ritu Phogat at ONE: NextGen. Photo: ONE Championship

Former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor (22-6) has thrown his support behind ONE Championship’s “Indian Tigress” Ritu Phogat ahead of next month’s atomweight grand prix final.

Advertisement

McGregor broached the topic of Indian MMA on Twitter early on Friday morning. After wishing his supporters in the country a happy Diwali, the Irishman responded to a tweet about Phogat’s unanimous decision victory over Jenelyn Olsim at ONE: NextGen last month.

“Rooting for the Indians to make a stamp in this game soon,” McGregor wrote. “Very possibly the most respectful and caring nationality I’ve ever met in my life, the Indians. Let’s go India.”

Phogat’s October win over Olsim earned her a fight with Thailand’s Stamp Fairtex on December 3. The winner of that bout will be crowned the ONE atomweight grand prix champion, and is expected to challenge atomweight queen Angela Lee for her title in the new year.

The 27-year-old Phogat (7-1) did not immediately respond to McGregor’s remark, but the UFC superstar did get a reply from Indian-Canadian Arjan Bhullar (11-1), who holds the ONE heavyweight title.

“I‘m here, the stamp [has] been made,” Bhullar wrote before inviting McGregor to train at American Kickboxing Academy in southern California.

Advertisement