Tomar, who hails from Uttar Pradesh, faced Ryan Dos Santos in the strawweight bout in the very first bout of the card. He and dos Santos went all three rounds: 15 minutes of grueling, fast-paced back-and-forth action.
"I want to show the world that Indian fighters are not losers. We are going so high! We are not going to stop! We will be UFC champions soon! This win is not my win, it is for all the Indian fans and all Indian fighter, I walked out for my Indian song with the Indian flag, and I felt very proud.
"I got goosebumps. There was no pressure inside (the Octagon), 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,” Pooja said after her historic win.
Santos used his height advantage and range to dictate the action, but Tomar continued kicking and screaming until the final bell, taking damage in the process. When the scorecards were read, Tomar won by split decision (30–27, 27–30, 29–28).
"Pooja Tomar is a pioneer for women's MMA in India, and her win made history. India has a long tradition of women excelling in combat sports, and the UFC has been a platform for women to shine since 2013, So Pooja's debut shows how the UFC has come so far as a sport, we are looking forward to Pooja continuing to deliver great performances as she represents India,” UFC Senior Vice President and Head of Asia Kevin Chang said.
"I want to show the world that Indian fighters are not losers. We are going so high! We are not going to stop! We will be UFC champions soon! This win is not my win, it is for all the Indian fans and all Indian fighter, I walked out for my Indian song with the Indian flag, and I felt very proud.
"I got goosebumps. There was no pressure inside (the Octagon), 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,” Pooja said after her historic win.
Santos used his height advantage and range to dictate the action, but Tomar continued kicking and screaming until the final bell, taking damage in the process. When the scorecards were read, Tomar won by split decision (30–27, 27–30, 29–28).
"Pooja Tomar is a pioneer for women's MMA in India, and her win made history. India has a long tradition of women excelling in combat sports, and the UFC has been a platform for women to shine since 2013, So Pooja's debut shows how the UFC has come so far as a sport, we are looking forward to Pooja continuing to deliver great performances as she represents India,” UFC Senior Vice President and Head of Asia Kevin Chang said.
