The Takedown | Stamp Fairtex against Ritu Phogat is a win-win for ONE Championship in atomweight grand prix final
- The pair collide at ONE: Winter Warriors on Friday in Singapore, with a crack at atomweight champ Angela Lee on the line
- Asian promotion will benefit no matter who comes out on top, as either woman will be an alluring match-up for ‘Unstoppable’
Win-win situations don’t come along often in combat sports, but that’s precisely what ONE Championship will have on its hands when Stamp Fairtex and Ritu Phogat collide in the Circle in Singapore on Friday night.
Thailand’s Stamp and India’s Phogat, both 7-1 in MMA, will meet in the co-main event of the stacked ONE: Winter Warriors card. The bout will serve as the finale of ONE’s injury-ravaged atomweight grand prix, and the winner will earn a crack at the division’s long-reigning queen, Angela Lee, who is preparing to return to action after the birth of her first child.
No fight promoter would ever admit it, but when big bouts like Stamp v Phogat transpire, there’s usually one outcome that’s just better for business. Most of the time, it’s a win for the more marketable or popular fighter.
In this case, however, you’re unlikely to catch any ONE executives wringing their hands backstage, quietly hoping for one outcome or another, as a win for either woman will open the door to a blockbuster fight for the promotion.
That’s due in part to the fact 25-year-old Canadian-American champion Lee (10-2), the woman awaiting Friday’s winner, is one of ONE’s most popular and most established fighters. Throw in that “Unstoppable” will be returning from a prolonged absence, and her fans are likely to be more engaged than ever before.
Yet it’s also due to the fact that both Stamp and Phogat look like perfect dance partners for Lee.