She defeated Brazil's Rayanne dos Santos at UFC Louisville 2024 to write her name in the sporting history of the country.
Historic!! Puja 'Cyclone' Tomar @pujatomar19 of Muzaffarnagar, UP becomes the first Indian MMA fighter to win a bout in the@ufc. She beats Rayanne Dos Santos of Brazil by split decision (30-27, 27-30, 29-28) in the women's strawweight division at UFC Cannonier-Imavov. pic.twitter.com/syhIn0uz2B
— jonathan selvaraj (@jon_selvaraj) June 8, 2024
Puja, who hails from Uttar Pradesh, became the first Indian woman to secure a UFC contract.
Marking her debut in the women's strawweight division, she clinched the match with a split decision of 30-27, 27-30, 29-28.
Historic!! Puja Tomar of Muzaffarnagar, UP becomes the first Indian MMA fighter to win a bout in the@ufc. She beats Rayanne Dos Santos of Brazil by split decision (30-27, 27-30, 29-28) in the women's strawweight division at UFC Cannonier-Imavov in Louisville Kentucky https://t.co/aHtXnFOt4M
— jonathan selvaraj (@jon_selvaraj) June 8, 2024
Despite dominating the first round, Puja faced opposition and strong punches from her opposition in the following sets, despite managing a victory at the end.
An evenly found final round of the tournament saw the Indian athlete winning the tense flight with a push kick knockdown.
Following the win, she said: "I want to show the world that Indian fighters are not losers. We are going all the way up! We are not going to stop!"