Conor McGregor offers words of upliftment to Ritu Phogat after MMA loss; 'Let’s go India'

Former UFC featherweight and lightweight double-champion, Conor McGregor on Friday sent his regards to Ritu Phogat after the Indian MMA fighter lost the ONE Atomweight Grand Prix final. McGregor took to social media to send words of encouragement to Phogat and backed her to make a "greater comeback" in the future.

Phogat suffered a disappointing defeat at the ONE Championship final after Thailand's Stamp Fairtex used her signature takedown defence to force the 27-year-old former wrestler to tap out.

After the match, McGregor shared a heartwarming message for Phogat on Twitter, where he wrote, "Hard luck today Ritu Phogat! A setback for a greater comeback! Let’s go Ritu! Let’s go India! We march on!". McGregor had previously shared a post on Twitter, where he had expressed his support for Indian fighters.

McGregor, while sharing a post regarding Phogat's victory in the ONE Championships semifinal, had said that he was rooting for Indians to make a mark in MMA sport. 

After McGregor's post earlier last month, Phogat took to Twitter to thank him for his wonderful words, adding, "This means a lot to me". Phogat even expressed her desire to meet McGregor and invited him to India. In an interview, Phogat said that the praises she got from McGregor were completely unexpected and that she hopes she can live up to his expectations. 

Phogat vs Fairtex

Returning to the ONE Atomweight Grand Prix final between Phogat and Fairtex, the opening round began with both fighters taking a cautious approach and circling the ring to assess each other's weaknesses. Phogat eased the tension by attempting a takedown, which Fairtex successfully defended. Phogat dived almost immediately in the second round to attempt another takedown, but this time she was successful, pinning Fairtex in the cage. 

Fairtex flipped the game upside down and trapped Phogat in a triangle chokehold just as she appeared to be the favourite to win the match due to her better wrestling talents. Following Fairtex's takedown defence, Phogat tapped out, resulting in Thailand star's victory. Fairtex will now lock horns against reigning champion Angela Lee next year for a title clash. 

Image: ANI/AP