India's
Puja Tomar achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first Mixed Martial
Arts (MMA) fighter from India to secure a victory in the Ultimate Fighting
Championship (UFC).
During
her debut, Puja clinched a split-decision win over Brazil's Rayanne dos Santos
in the straw-weight (52kg) category, with scores of 30-27, 27-30, and 29-28 on
Saturday.
The
30-year-old fighter, nicknamed 'cyclone', joined the UFC in October last year,
making her the first Indian woman to compete in this top MMA organization.
"This
win is not my win. This win is for all Indian fans and all Indian fighters.
before everyone thought that Indian fighters did not stand anywhere. I only
thought I have to win and show the world that Indian fighters are not
losers," Puja told Sony Sport Network after her victory.
Hailing
from Budhana village in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, Puja boasts five national
wushu titles and a background in karate and taekwondo.