Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter Puja Tomar has etched her name in history by becoming the first Indian woman to win a bout in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Tomar secured her victory in her debut match held in Louisville, USA, defeating Brazilian opponent Rayanne dos Santos in the UFC Octagon. She is the third Indian to compete in the UFC, following male fighters Bharat Kandare and Anshul Jubli.
Nicknamed "The Cyclone," Puja Tomar was born in 1993 in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh. After losing her father at a young age, she turned to martial arts as a means of self-defense for herself and her sisters.
Inspired by Jackie Chan’s movies, she took up Wushu, a Chinese martial art, which laid the foundation for her professional fighting career.
In 2023, she became the first Indian woman to sign a contract with the UFC, and she has now achieved another milestone by winning her first match for the mixed martial arts organisation.
“I want to fight not only for me but also to become a motivation for all Indian women,” Puja stated in a pre-match video message posted on UFC’s India handle on Instagram.
Her journey from a young girl with aspirations to a global-level MMA competitor is both inspiring and commendable.
Puja Tomar had already made history last year by becoming the first Indian woman to secure a UFC contract. In her debut fight in the women's strawweight division, she triumphed by split decision with scores of 30-27, 27-30, and 29-28.
Follow us
