UFC 2024: Puja Tomar Makes India Proud, Becomes First From The Country To Win

It was Tomar's debut at UFC and not only did she win on her first attempt but also made history as the first Indian to achieve this feat. The 30-year-old athete from Uttar Pradesh, faced Rayanne dos Santos of Brazil at strawweight category, marking the opening bout of the event.

Tomar and dos Santos went all three rounds: 15 minutes of gruelling, fast-paced back-and-forth action. Santos used her height advantage and range to dictate the action, but Tomar went kicking and screaming to the final bell, causing damage in the process. When the scorecards were read, Tomar picked up a split decision win (30-27, 27-30, 29-28) in the straw-weight (52kg) bout.

"This win is not my win. This win is for all Indian fans and all Indian fighters. before everyone thought that Indian fighters did not stand anywhere. I only thought I have to win and show the world that Indian fighters are not losers," Tomar told Sony Sport Network after her win.

'The Cyclone' woman signed her contract with the UFC in October 2023 to become the first from India to compete in the biggest Mixed Martial Arts promotion.

"I feel great, I had come from home thinking that I will win. I have worked really hard that's why I am here and the crowd is cheering me. I was very strong and motivated so that's why I won."

Earlier Anshul Jubli, Bharat Kandare and Canada-based Arjan Singh have represented India on the world stage in the UFC. But none of them could manage to claim victory.

Who Is Puja Tomar?

Puja Tomar was born in the Buddhanagar village of Muzaffarnagar. Her journer of martial arts is filled with glory but until this year she was only a a five-time national wushu champion. She featured in many competitions including the Matrix Fight Night and One Championship where she won the straw-weight title twice. Her skills also ranges from karate to taekwondo.

Was this Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) journey easy? No, it was not.

"I was confident of winning, I attacked a lot. But I wasn't able to give my 100 percent. I felt pressured in the second round. I need to improve on a lot of skills like take downs.

"My MMA journey was not easy, this win is for my mother, she has fought with the world for me. So this win is for her," she said.

After Puja Tomar's hostprical win, Kevin Chang, UFC Senior Vice President and Head of Asia said, “Puja Tomar is a pioneer for women's MMA in India, and her win made history. India has a long-standing tradition of women excelling in combat sports, and UFC has been a platform for women to shine since 2013, so Puja's debut shows how far the UFC has come as a sport. We are looking forward to Puja continuing to put on amazing performances as she represents India.”