Eko Roni Saputra offers words of encouragement to Ritu Phogat, says she remains the best

Eko Roni Saputra has supported Ritu Phogat after the latter's harrowing defeat in the final round of the recently concluded ONE Women's Atomweight World Grand Prix.

Phogat succumbed to Thailand's Stamp Fairtex via second-round armbar at ONE: Winter Warriors on December 3. It was a tough pill to swallow for the 27-year-old "Indian Tigress," who had grand designs on becoming India's first female MMA world champion.

After the fight, Phogat received a myriad of well-wishes, including one from UFC star Conor McGregor himself. But one athlete who has become close with Phogat in recent years is none other than her Evolve MMA teammate, Indonesian star "Dynamite" Eko Roni Saputra.

Speaking to ONE Championship in a recent interview, Saputra shared what he told Phogat.

"I contacted her right away, trying my best to console her. We're good friends and we've always been supportive of each other when we have a fight. She replied to the message one day after that thanking me for the message. And I told her that she remains the best, because her journey was tough. And to be able to reach the final with all the challenges she faced is an achievement of its own," Saputra said.

"It must be devastating because she was a step closer to the belt but this is not the end. It is what it is, and she'll come back stronger. We'll train together again soon," he added.

Like Phogat, Saputra transitioned from the sport of wrestling to mixed martial arts, joining Evolve MMA the same year "The Indian Tigress" did in 2019.

Together, they honed their skills alongside world champions from all sorts of martial arts disciplines, such as ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Nong-O Gaiyanghadao, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion Teco Shinzato, and WBA Boxing World Champion Drian Francisco, among others.

Their careers have enjoyed a similar trajectory as well, with both wrestling stars coming out to fantastic starts. But where one fighter falls short, the other shares in that experience, even in defeat. That's how close they are as teammates.

Saputra was quick to remind fans that Phogat still has a bright future ahead of her, and that they haven't seen the best of her yet.

"Ritu has been making a stellar improvement, and I believe she knows what she needs to work on. We'll work together to improve ourselves particularly on striking because we were both wrestlers," Saputra said.

Phogat is expected to return to action in early 2022, and is looking to resume her ascent in the atomweight division.

Saputra, on the other hand, continues to rise through the ranks at flyweight. The Samarinda, Borneo native is 5-1 in his career so far, winning his last five in the Circle, all by spectacular finish.

( With inputs from ANI )