At UFC Louisville 2024, Puja Tomar became the first Indian to win a fight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) after defeating Brazil’s Rayanne dos Santos.
Puja Tomar who comes from Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh had already made history last year as the first woman from India to sign a contract with UFC.
In her debut women’s strawweight bout, she won through a split decision by scores of 30-27, 27-30, and 29-28.
The match was a closely contested bout where both fighters showcased their strengths. Puja started round one by landing powerful body kicks on dos Santos that left no doubt in anybody’s mind about her superiority in the ring.
In other words, Dos Santos was not willing to be overconfident in stepping forward on the fight throughout the entire opening session.
During the second round, dos Santos had taken control of everything forcing Puja to move backward while trying to counter them. This round saw the Brazilian adopt the same tactics as the Indians did but with more kicking than before.
It worked out well since both ladies were involved in it. The final round was intense and even but it was only Puja’s knockdown push kick that secured her victory.
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After winning, Puja Tomar stated that the moment was meant for Indian fighters and fans of MMA. The ‘Cyclone’ believed that not until her win had anyone thought about Indian fighters being on a platform like UFC.
Puja stated that she intended to prove that Indian warriors are not losers.
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“I want to prove the world wrong that Indian fighters are not losers. We will rise! No stopping! Very soon we will be a UFC champion! This is not my victory; it belongs to all the Indians who are supporting me and all those who fight in this country.
I came out with my Indian song and my Indian flag and I felt so proud. I had goosebumps. There was no pressure inside (the Octagon), just thought in my mind “I have to win”. I took maybe two or three punches but it’s fine. I’m going for myself, I’m going high,” Puja said.
After Bharat Kandare and Anshul Jubli did battle in the UFC without winning their first encounters, Puja followed suit.
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