At a time when the whole country is waiting for the IND vs PAK match in the ongoing T20I World Cup 2024 in New York, India’s Puja Tomar has managed to break the internet by scripting history 677 miles apart in Louisville. Puja became India’s first to win a fight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), defeating Brazil’s Rayanne dos Santos at UFC Louisville 2024.
Hailing from Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, Puja broke new ground last year as she became the first Indian woman to secure a UFC contract. In her debut fight in the women’s strawweight division, Puja emerged victorious by split decision with 30-27, 27-30, and 29-28 scores.
‘Cyclone’ Puja Tomar Sweeps Through Debut
The fight was a closely contested bout where both the fighters displayed their strengths. Puja dominated the first round of the fight with powerful body kicks that landed cleanly on dos Santos, making the Brazilian reconsider her approach.
In the second round, dos Santos gained the upper hand, advancing relentlessly and forcing Puja to counter while moving backward. Adopting a similar strategy to Puja’s, dos Santos focused on kicks, and both women fiercely exchanged blows.
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The final round was intense and evenly matched, but Puja’s decisive push kick knockdown secured her the victory.
Tomar Dedicated Her Win To Indian Fighters
It has to be noted that before her fight, Puja Tomar who is fondly called ‘Cyclone’ claimed that everyone thought that the Indian fighters didn’t have the right to be on a stage like the UFC.
After the fight, Puja Tomar expressed her happiness and dedicated the moment to the Indian fighters and MMA fans. Puja also said that with the win she wanted to show that the Indian fighters are not losers. She said:
“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.”
She added: “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! We’ll become a UFC champion soon! This win is not my win, it’s for all Indian fans and all Indian fighters. I walked out to my Indian song with the Indian flag, and I felt so proud. I had goosebumps. Inside (the Octagon), there was no pressure, I just thought, ‘I have to win’. I took two or three punches, but I’m OK. I’m going to improve myself and I’m going all the way up.”
Puja follows in the footsteps of Bharat Kandare and Anshul Jubli, who both fought in the UFC, however, they did not win their debut matches.
