'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Ritu Phogat is excited to compete in front of the Indian fans who call Qatar home.
After taking time off to focus on her family, 'The Indian Tigress' will step back inside the Circle this Thursday, Feb. 20 at ONE 171: Qatar.
There, the ONE Atomweight MMA World Grand Prix Championship runner-up will square off with dangerous submission specialist and No.3-ranked Ayaka Miura in a bout that could bring with it major world title implications.
Trending
Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
With Qatar being home to an estimated 700,000 members of the Indian community, Ritu Phogat can't wait to once again perform in front of her supporters and feed off the energy and excitement inside the Lusail Sports Arena.
"Absolutely, when you’re surrounded by your people, receiving support and love, it brings a whole new level of energy," Phogat told ONE Championship. "I’ll benefit from that. When people cheer for me, it will fuel my excitement."
It will be Ritu Phogat's first time competing since a first-round submission loss to Tiffany Teo at ONE 161 in September 2022.
Ritu Phogat always knew she would return to MMA after birthing her first child
While away from the fight game, Ritu Phogat became a mother for the first time, giving birth to a baby boy in June 2024.
Understandably, that took a lot of time and attention away from her career as a professional fighter, but Phogat never once considered walking away from the sport altogether.
In fact, 'The Indian Tigress' never once lost her love for MMA and continued to train and diet regularly, knowing that one day she would step back onto martial arts' biggest global stage.
"When you truly love something, it stays on your mind, no matter how far you are from it," Phogat said. "During this time, I never stopped my workouts. I always followed a good diet and kept watching fights. This was an important part of my journey."
ONE 171: Qatar will emanate from the Lusail Sports Arena in Qatar on Thursday, Feb. 20. Head over to watch.onefc.com to learn more about how you can watch the event live.
