First Indian to win in UFC, Puja Tomar shares a glimpse of her grueling MMA journey

Earlier this month, mixed martial artist Puja Tomar became the first Indian to win a fight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). The 28-year-old fighter achieved a split decision victory over Brazilian Rayanne dos Santos in the strawweight division (52 kg), winning in her UFC debut. Now, Tomar aspires to be a pioneer of MMA in India and hopes to see more stars emerging in the sport in the country. She also talked about her intense routine to prepare for UFC fights.

“I just want to keep fighting and winning my fights and growing MMA in India,” Tomar told NDTV.

‘I want people to know and follow MMA, whether through me or someone else,’ she said. It’s a different kind of hard work, so I want everyone in India to know about MMA,” she added.

Born in the small town of Budhana, in Uttar Pradesh, the 28-year-old signed a contract with the UFC in October 2023.

Tomar goes by the name “The Cyclone,” and his training routine certainly backs up his name.

“There’s a lot of work going on behind the scenes,” Tomar said. “People only see us fighting in the octagon. We trained for 3 to 4 months. I was in a very long camp since my flights were cancelled,” she continued.

Tomar stated that her trainer Mike Ikelei refuses to go easy on her in training, preparing her for the most difficult situations in the ring.

PREMIERE DUBLICATIONS

Puja Tomar takes the split decision #UFCLouisville pic.twitter.com/IMYkYlcDKj

-UFC (@ufc) June 8, 2024

“There were times when I was exhausted and on the ground unable to get out, but he would call the crowd to come and beat me more,” Tomar told NDTV. “I would cry and he would tell them to keep going and that I needed to find a way out,” she said.

The UFC is widely considered to be the highest standard in mixed martial arts, and Tomar’s victory is an example for Indian MMA fighters to follow.