Puja Tomar, a 30-year-old mixed martial artist, became the first Indian to win a bout in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). She won a split decision over Brazil's Rayanne dos Santos in the straw-weight category at UFC Louisville. She also became the first Indian woman to land a contract with UFC in 2023 which is the biggest Mixed Martial Arts promotion globally.
Indian fighter Puja won a 15-minute fight against Rayanne, showcasing her talent and determination on the global stage, despite Rayanne dominating the fight due to her height advantage but Puja went screaming to the final bell where judges scored the fight 30-27, 27-30, and 29-28. After the match, Puja mentioned, "I want to show 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, 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 Tomar, born in 1993 in Budhana, Uttar Pradesh, India, lost her parents at a young age. Despite hardships, she pursued Wushu as a self-expression and won numerous medals, including representing India in the World Wushu Championship 2015.
