Filipina mixed martial arts veteran and ONE Championship atomweight Jomary “The Zamboanginian Fighter” Torres believes she will be able to handle Ritu Phogat, when she meets “The Indian Tigress” in the ONE Circle this Friday night.
Torres and Phogat do battle in a three-round atomweight mixed martial arts contest at ONE: BIG BANG, which broadcasts live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore on 4 December.
Torres is eager to put herself back on a winning pace after suffering a string of defeats in her last four outings. The former nanny turned SEA Games Sambo Medalist is confident she can handle Phogat’s vaunted wrestling skills, and pull out a much-needed victory.
“I think she’s a very strong, and durable fighter. She’s determined to win and has a lot of great skills. Obviously, her biggest strength has to be her wrestling. She’s a national wrestling champion and that’s what she has been doing her whole life. She also has a terrific team at Evolve MMA where she can cultivate her skills daily,” said Torres.
“But Ritu is human, you know. Anyone can be beat. We’re all humans in there. I’m going to find a way to beat her and win.”
Phogat is a Commonwealth Wrestling Gold Medalist, a World Under-23 Wrestling Championships Silver Medalist, and a practical celebrity in her native India. Her father, Mahavir Singh Phogat, is considered a pioneer of the Indian art of wrestling called Pehlwani, and her family was the subject of the 2016 film Dangal — once the highest grossing Bollywood film of all time.
Needless to say, Phogat lives and breathes wrestling, and what she has shown so far in ONE reflects that. However, Torres feels she has the tools to deal with Phogat on the ground, if the fight goes there.
“If this fight does go to the ground, I am confident I can handle her wrestling,” said Torres.
“Wrestling is something me and my coach, Rene Catalan, work on all the time in camp. She’s obviously more experienced in that field, if we’re talking about pure wrestling. But I’ve worked really hard on my grappling, and I am confident in my skills.”
ONE: BIG BANG is the first of ONE Championship’s live event offerings in the month of December. The main event features a showdown between ONE Light Heavyweight Kickboxing World Champion Roman Kryklia of the Ukraine and challenger Murat “The Butcher” Aygun of the Netherlands.
Torres is certainly in a must-win situation, and she believes now is the time for her to return to her winning ways. If she can beat Phogat, one of the fastest rising stars in her division, it would surely send the message that “The Zamboanginian Fighter” is back and ready to take her career to the next level. Torres is determined to claim victory for the people she loves.
“I’m really determined to win this fight. I am hungry for victory. At the same time, fans should expect a good fight. I’m always looking to put on a good show for the fans. I love competing and I love performing. Over my career I’ve gotten more comfortable in the Circle, and I hope this time I can showcase that,” said Torres.
“I’m really motivated to win for my family. I want to give them a better life. That’s what I’m fighting for, that’s why I’m working hard. I also want to bring honor and glory to my country. I think anytime I represent the country, it’s always a huge privilege. It makes me proud to be a Filipino. I want to raise the Philippine flag in victory.”
Watch ONE: BIG BANG this Friday, 4 December on One Sports+ at 8:30 p.m. Philippine Standard Time (PHT). One Sports will air the event on a same-day delay at 9 p.m. PHT. Additionally, TV5 will air the event on a next-day delay at 11 p.m. PHT.
