“The Cyclone” Puja Tomar made her UFC debut in UFC Louisville 2024 on 8 June. She defeated the Brazilian Rayanne Amanda dos Santos by split decision in the Strawweight division.
It was a closely contested fight between the two athletes. Tomar dominated the first round and landed some hefty kicks on the Brazilian. Dos Santos replied with a strong second round by continuously advancing and forcing Tomar towards the fence. Tomar came to her own in the final round landing some punches and kicks on the body of Dos Santos. At the end of grueling 15 minutes, the judges scorecards read 30-27, 27-30, 29-28 in favor of the Indian.
With this win, she wrote her name in the history books by becoming the first fighter from India to win a fight in the UFC.
Poja Tomar’s Journey To MMA
Tomar was born in Budhana, a small town in Uttar Pradesh. Her father died at the age of 7. As a result, she dedicated much of her time to the farm fields to help her family. “I was an active child, and I used to help my mother with the farming,” says Tomar.
She always had ambitions to become a sportsperson. Like most of the athletes, she had an inner desire to achieve something great in her life. She would watch local groups training outside her home and this is when the dream of martial arts gave birth in her heart and she began to train. She watched other students train at The Crossfit Fitness Academy and tried to replicate what she saw.
As soon as she got the opportunity, she began to train Wushu and competed in local events as it had the potential to generate extra potential for her family. In order to pursue her dream, she left her homeland and shifted to Bhopal where she lived in dormitories with other athletes.
She went on to win four Wushu Championships before her attention turned to MMA. In her first two fights in MMA, she secured two knockouts in a combined time of 45 seconds.
However, her life took a pivotal turn when she met Rajinder Singh Meena of ONE Championship who guided her regarding her professional life. Following her third TKO victory, she made the cut into the ‘Home of Martial Arts’ ONE Championship. She did not have the best of runs in ONE Championship, losing four of her five fights. In 2021, she joined MFN and won four consecutive bouts.
Poja Tomar’s MMA Record
Tomar has a current MMA record of 9-4-0 (Win-Loss-Draw) and is the No.1 Pound-for-pound active Middle East woman in the world and also the No.1 Pound-for-pound active South Asia woman in the world.
“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. I only thought I have to win and show the World that Indian fighters are not losers” Tomar said after her UFC debut.
“Walking out with our Indian song and the Indian flag gave me goosebumps and made me feel proud,” she added.
Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
