(June 21, 2024) Known as the ‘Cyclone’ for a reason, Puja Tomar has stormed her way to the top of the Indian martial arts circuit. This month, she made history as the first Indian to claim victory at the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in the United States. Hailing from Budhana village in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar, Puja broke barriers last year by becoming the first Indian woman to secure a contract with the UFC, the prestigious mixed martial arts promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. A former national Wushu (Chinese martial arts) champion, she has showcased her skills in international Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) action-packed competitions like Matrix Fight Night and ONE Championship.
On June 8 this month, Puja secured a monumental victory by defeating Brazil’s Rayanne Amanda dos Santos, marking India’s first-ever win in the UFC. This achievement comes more than a decade after the UFC officially opened its doors to women fighters in 2013.
Overwhelmed with happiness, Puja burst into tears when her name was announced as the winner. “I want to thank my Lord Jesus Christ. It’s because of Him that I am here,” she said, her voice trembling with emotion and tears welling in her eyes. “I am very excited and want to declare that Indian fighters are not losers. We are going all the way up. We will not stop,” she said amidst cheers from the crowd in Louisville, Kentucky.
Persistence in the face of failures
Puja’s journey has not been without its setbacks. After enduring four consecutive losses in the ONE Championship, she competed at the Matrix Fight Night (MFN) in 2021, where she triumphed in four bouts. From there, her position in the Indian martial art circuit started to soar. For her recent championships, she trained at the Soma Fight Club in Bali, Indonesia.
“I have faced judgments about my body, with people saying it resembles a male physique. However, mindsets are gradually shifting as mixed martial arts gains recognition,” she remarked in an interview.
Starting young
Puja began her martial arts journey at the age of 12 after the loss of her father. Growing up with two sisters, she took inspiration from Jackie Chan movies and learned Karate initially to protect them.
However, the rules of Karate were restrictive, and she sought a more physically demanding sport. “I needed something rough and tough, so I chose martial arts,” she explained.
Puja Tomar
During her teenage years, Puja represented India in the World Wushu Championship before turning to Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) in 2013, following her victory at the MFN Strawweight Championship.
As far as the techniques of the fights are concerned, she prefers the Heel Hook for grappling and the SideKick for striking her opponents. She immersed herself so deeply in the game that her aggression had started becoming strongly evident, prompting her coaches to work on toning it down over time.
Going the extra mile
From a young age, Puja had always aspired to achieve something extraordinary. “My mother has been my strongest supporter, pushing me to strive for greatness, despite her initial tears seeing me injured when I took up Wushu as a child,” Puja shared.
She dedicated her recent UFC victory to her mother, acknowledging, “My mother fought against all odds to help me reach where I am today.”
Recognised as one of the top female fighters in the Indian circuit, Puja Tomar received a hero’s welcome upon returning to India and during her visit to her village, Budhana in Uttar Pradesh.
Puja Tomar
Reflecting on her recent triumph minutes after the win she remarked, “Walking into the championship arena with the Indian flag just before the tournament, filled me with immense pride and gave me goosebumps. Walking with the Indian flag felt like a bigger moment than the win itself.”
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