Puja Tomar Indian athlete Puja Tomar has made history after she became the first fighter from the country to win a clash in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
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!"
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