Puja Tomar from India made history by winning a mixed martial arts match in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in UFC Louisville. In the straw-weight (52kg) match, newcomer Tomar narrowly defeated Brazil’s Rayanne dos Santos by split decision with scores of 30-27, 27-30, and 29-28.
The 30-year-old, nicknamed “Cyclone,” made history last October by signing a contract with the UFC, becoming the first Indian woman to compete in the largest Mixed Martial Arts promotion. India has had other UFC representatives, including Anshul Jubli, Bharat Kandare, and Arjan Singh Bhullar, who is based in Canada.
Tomar, who grew up in Budhana village in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, is a five-time national wushu champion and has experience in karate and taekwondo.