WRESTLING CHAMPION RITU PHOGAT JOINS ONE CHAMPIONSHIP

The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced that it has signed women’s wrestling sensation Ritu Phogat of India to a multiple-bout contract.

Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “At ONE Championship, we are constantly on the lookout for the world’s greatest martial arts talents, especially in Asia. Women’s wrestling sensation Ritu Phogat embodies the true values of martial arts and is a great fit for our organization. I would like to personally welcome Ritu to the ONE Championship family. I’m excited to share Ritu’s story with the world and to showcase Indian martial arts at the highest level, on the biggest global stage of martial arts competition in ONE Championship.”

Ritu Phogat, ONE Athlete, stated: “It is both an honor and a privilege to join ONE Championship, the best and biggest martial arts organization in the world. Wrestling will always be my first love, but I feel that it is time to expand my horizons. I am excited to compete against the best mixed martial artists in the world and to bring glory and pride to my home country. I also look to prove that Indian martial arts is truly world-class. Thank you, ONE Championship, for the opportunity to share my talent on the global stage.”

24-year-old Ritu Phogat is a champion wrestler and top women’s mixed martial arts prospect who hails from India. She comes from a family of martial artists and began training in wrestling at the age of eight under the guidance of her father Mahavir Singh Phogat. Ritu is a Commonwealth Wrestling Championships Gold Medalist, World U23 Wrestling World Championships Silver Medalist, Asian Wrestling Championships Bronze Medalist, and multiple-time Indian National Wrestling Champion.

Hailing from Haryana, Ritu is widely-regarded as one of India’s top sports superstars and one of the most talented wrestlers in the world. Her sisters Geeta, Babita Kumari, and Sangeeta, as well as cousin Vinesh, are also wrestling champions.

In 2016, Ritu bagged a gold medal at the Commonwealth Wrestling Championship held in Singapore. In 2017, she took home India’s first silver medal at the prestigious World U23 Wrestling Championships held in Poland. In 2018, she placed 5th at the Wrestling World Championships despite only being 24-years-old. Ritu now joins ONE Championship and looks to embark on a promising professional career in women’s mixed martial arts.

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

About ONE Championship™
ONE Championship (ONE) is the largest global sports media property in Asian history, and the largest producer of millennial live sports content in Asia. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE is the Home of Martial Arts, and is the world's largest martial arts organization, hosting bouts across all styles of martial arts such as Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Karate, Kung Fu, Silat, Sanda, Lethwei, Mixed Martial Arts, Tae Kwon Do, Submission Grappling, and more. ONE hosts the biggest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world's best martial artists and world champions on the largest global media broadcast in Asia. ONE eSports, a subsidiary of ONE Championship, runs Asia's largest global eSports Championship Series with some of the biggest blockbuster game titles in the world. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 1.7 billion potential viewers across 138 countries with some of the largest global broadcasters, including Fox Sports, ABS-CBN, Astro, ClaroSports, Bandsports, Startimes, Premier Sports, Thairath TV, Skynet, Mediacorp, OSN, Great Sports, Tencent, and more.

Jeremy Miado Places the Value of Respect in the Highest Regard

Filipino strawweight contender Jeremy “The Jaguar” Miado values respect above everything else as a mixed martial artist.

In his next contest, Miado faces off against former foe Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke once more on 22 February at ONE: CALL TO GREATNESS.

Dejdamrong is a Muay Thai legend. In their first encounter in March 2018, Miado scored a scintillating first-round knockout of the Thai superstar. Many critics say that Miado may have gotten in a lucky punch, and that things will be different in this rematch.

The Filipino “Jaguar” merely shrugs off this kind of talk and harbors no ill-will towards his detractors nor his opponent.

“No matter which martial artist I go up against, whether he’s better than me or not, I should respect him as a martial artist,” Miado said.

The Filipino took Muay Thai while he was still pursuing a Criminology degree in college. With the bond he developed with his coach, he learned a valuable lesson that is more important than punching and kicking.

“My coach back in Bicol, Dante Madrideo [taught me the value of respect],” Miado said.

“He was my first coach who really took me under his wing.”

The gym where he used to train embodied just that as he treated everyone with utmost respect. He rather be remembered as a respectful athlete rather than for his professional record.

“Not just as a martial artist, but as a regular person, respect is important. You won’t get respect if you don’t know how to give it,” Miado said.

“In the cage, if you don’t display this value, win or lose, people will not care. If you won, then good for you, but if you lost, then they would say that you had it coming.

“If you respect the people around you, win or lose, people will be proud of what you did in the cage. You can’t be respectful in the cage and be a different person in everyday life.”

Miado feels at home with ONE Championship as he shares the same values with the company who employs him. He also finds the promotion an avenue to display and share these values.

“ONE Championship is a huge platform where millions of people are watching,” Miado said.

“If you display this value, people will respect you just the same.

“It is especially true against any opponent because you’re not really enemies outside the cage. Competing against each other is what we do, it is our sport, but outside of the cage, we’re all friends.”

As Miado faces the former ONE Strawweight World Champion, he still holds onto immense respect for the highly-decorated Evolve MMA representative.

“I have great respect for him, because when I was starting, I was looking up to him,” he explains.

“It is a huge honor for me to be able to be on the opposite side of the cage (ring) competing against him. That’s why I want to do my best in our match.”

As the day of their rematch approaches, Miado looks tol put on a performance worthy of the respect of his fans and opponent.

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

About ONE Championship™

ONE Championship (ONE) is the largest global sports media property in Asian history, and the largest producer of millennial live sports content in Asia. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE is the Home of Martial Arts, and is the world's largest martial arts organization, hosting bouts across all styles of martial arts such as Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Karate, Kung Fu, Silat, Sanda, Lethwei, Mixed Martial Arts, Tae Kwon Do, Submission Grappling, and more. ONE hosts the biggest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world's best martial artists and world champions on the largest global media broadcast in Asia. ONE eSports, a subsidiary of ONE Championship, runs Asia's largest global eSports Championship Series with some of the biggest blockbuster game titles in the world. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 1.7 billion potential viewers across 138 countries with some of the largest global broadcasters, including Fox Sports, ABS-CBN, Astro, ClaroSports, Bandsports, Startimes, Premier Sports, Thairath TV, Skynet, Mediacorp, OSN, Great Sports, Tencent, and more.