UFC Louisville 2024: 'It's For All Indian Fans And All Indian Fighters' - History-Making Puja Tomar Dedicates Debut Win To Country

Mixed martial arts athlete, Puja "The Cyclone" Tomar has dedicated her history-making win at UFC Louisville 2024: Cannonier vs. Imavov to all the Indian fans and fighters.

Puja Tomar made her debut as India's first female fighter in UFC, and scored a victory, the first by an Indian, to make history on Sony Sports Network in India on Sunday (June 9) at the KFC Yum Center in Louisville, Kentucky.

Puja Tomar reacts after defeating Rayanne dos Santos to become first Indian fighter to win a UFC bout

Tomar who hails from Uttar Pradesh, faced Rayanne dos Santos at strawweight in the very first bout of the UFC Louisville card. Tomar and dos Santos went all three rounds: 15 minutes of gruelling, fast-paced back-and-forth action.

Santos used her height advantage and range to dictate the action, but Tomar went kicking and screaming to the final bell, causing damage in the process. When the scorecards were read, Tomar picked up a split decision win (30-27, 27-30, 29-28).

Following the bout, Puja Tomar was excited to land India's first win in the UFC and was proud to put the country on the map of MMA's biggest promotion in the world.

"I want to show the world 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," Tomar said.

"I walked out to my Indian song with the Indian flag, and I felt so proud. I had goosebumps. Inside (the Octagon), 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."

Kevin Chang, UFC Senior Vice President and Head of Asia, also hailed Puja Tomar after her history-making bow in the promotion and looked forward to more amazing performances from the Indian Cyclone.

"Puja Tomar is a pioneer for women's MMA in India, and her win made history. India has a long-standing tradition of women excelling in combat sports, and UFC has been a platform for women to shine since 2013," Chang said.

"So Puja's debut shows how far the UFC has come as a sport. We are looking forward to Puja continuing to put on amazing performances as she represents India."