On June 8th, 2024, Puja Tomar, a 30-year-old young woman, made headlines as the first-ever Indian to secure victory at the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship).
Puja Tomar, also nicknamed the ‘Cyclone’ for her ferocious fighting skills, is a mixed martial arts champion who hails from the village of Budhana, Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, India. Tomar comes from a modest family, where her father, late Ram Kumar Tomar, was a farmer and her mother, Babitha, a homemaker. They have three girls, with Tomar being the youngest of all. Tomar’s father passed away when she was 7 years old, propelling her siblings and mother to take chances helping and carrying out work in the fields to fend for their livelihood.
Growing up in a vicinity surrounded by local boxing practitioners and watching Wushu, a modern Chinese martial arts, from television, Tomar started imitating them, gradually awakening the innate fighting skills in her at a very young age. She excelled at sports in school, mastering taekwondo and karate, and securing victory in junior and local level competitions. Tomar’s motivation to protect her mother and sisters and ‘beat the boys’ in a society that undermines a woman’s strength was the spirit she held. Realising the need for improvement and betterment in the discipline, the Wushu enthusiast enrolled at a training academy in Meerut at the age of 12 for upgrading her skills. Later on, the youngster moved to Bhopal, joining the Sports Authority of India, where she refined her already existing tactics in karate and kickboxing. She participated in many National Wushu Competitions, earning 5 gold medals in total.
Puja’s rise as a renowned world champion has never been an easy task. Being the youngest, she took on herself to be the pillar of the family, struggling to balance her dreams with external struggles. Even though the hardships are not descriptively laid out in front, the very idea of a girl child carrying the dream of being a star in a male-dominated field is a subject of criticism and judgement. Tomar’s mother stood as an icon of strength and constant support for her daughter, encouraging the young girl to pursue her dreams despite all the odds. Tomar recalled in an interview how her mother’s words, ‘puja just fight’, have always been the push that she closes her eyes and gives her best.
Tomar’s spiritual identity as a Christian has also been a pillar of strength in her struggles. Being an ardent believer in Christ, she finds her motivation and courage from reading the bible, especially from the narrative of King David, a mere shepherd-musician who prospered as the king through his faith and trust in god. The martial champion also confessed how connecting with God during tough times helps her stay positive and continue her journey.
After years of hard-core training and mastering various forms of martial arts, Tomar sought an active field to establish her career as a professional fighter. In October 2023, she signed up as a full-time participant in MMA: Mixed Martial Arts, a combat sport where fighters employ all forms of fighting techniques as opposed to traditional single-discipline fighting. From then on, she climbed the stairs of success by making her debut in Super Fight League (SFL) on October 15, 2013, defeating Priyanka Kadam in the opening round of the first match by claiming a knockout in just 21 seconds. In her subsequent match, she defeated her opponent in less than 24 seconds. However, Tomar was defeated by her adversary in her third match in 2017, coming second in the standings. Puja Tomar, as per records, holds a total of 3 wins and 1 loss in SFL.
The expert fighter later joined ONE Championship, one of the largest sports organisations in Asia, where she faced multiple talented and world-recognised fighters including Tiffany Teo, Jihin Radzuan, Killer Bee, and Priscilla Gaol, against whom she secured her first victory in ONE. In May 2017, the champion signed up for Matrix Fight Night (MFN), where she secured her first victory against Jojo Rajkumar. She has also won the ‘Strawweight Champion’ title in MFN 10, Dubai, defeating her opponent, Killer Bee.
However, in 2024, Puja Tomar secured her hallmark win by defeating Brazilian opponent Rayanne Santos, becoming the first-ever Indian to sign up and win at UFC. The powerful three-round match had kept the nation on its toes, with both the professionals giving their best in their hardcore fighting skills. The match concluded with a split decision, with Tomar securing 30-27, 27-30, and 29-30 scores, giving the latter the upper hand for victory.
In regard to failure and her relationship with her opponents, Tomar holds a more positive attitude. Tomar understands every opponent in their element and regards each of them as capable and talented as she is. She works on her weaknesses and modifies her skills continuously, taking help from her coach. As an Indian, Tomar takes pride to be a First Sportsperson in MMA with immense gratitude, reflecting upon how the adrenaline-spiking music ‘Jai Ho ’ and the Indian National Anthem played after her win are always a source of motivation. She regards her win as a moment to uplift her motherland in front of the world.
Puja Tomar has attended various cultural events and also conducts seminars on self-defence techniques. The champion aspires to open an MMA training academy in the near future, acknowledging the growing young talent in combat arts but also the lack of proper guidance in establishing their stance in MMA. As a growing icon, the sports champion continues to inspire many young women in the country through her definite perseverance and determination, while simultaneously continuing to thrive in her field.
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