ONE Championship’s Ritu Phogat hopes she can live up to Conor McGregor’s expectations after UFC superstar’s backing

‘If he gives you a shoutout, it means you’ve got some big goals to smash,’ says Phogat, who faces Stamp Fairtex in grand prix final

‘The Indian Tigress’ wants to reach the same level as ‘The Notorious’ and be a poster girl for MMA across the world

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Ritu Phogat heads to the ONE Circle for her atomweight grand prix semi-final against Jenelyn Olsim. Photo: ONE Championship

Published: 6:28pm, 9 Nov 2021Updated: 6:27pm, 9 Nov 2021

It’s not often Conor McGregor is left waiting for a response, but Ritu Phogat was busy celebrating Diwali when the biggest icon in mixed martial arts gave her a shoutout on social media.

The former UFC two-weight champ leant ONE Championship’s “Indian Tigress” (7-1) his backing last week for December 3’s atomweight grand prix final against Stamp Fairtex in Singapore.

A tweet from “The Notorious” usually warrants instant reaction from fighters and fans alike, though 27-year-old Phogat only saw it the next day – and immediately invited the Irishman to India.

“Definitely it was unexpected,” she told the Post on Tuesday. “It was nice, it was an expected surprise. The support was immensely well received.

“I just hope I live up to his expectations, because a personality of that calibre, if he gives you a shoutout, it definitely means you’ve got some big goals to smash.

“I just hope I’m able to perform well and make him proud, and yes, definitely when he comes to India I’d like to meet up with him at least once. This only serves as a motivator to me to keep breaking my own records.”