Published 08:03 IST, June 9th 2024

Puja Tomar makes history at UFC! India strawweight wins debut vs Rayanne Amanda via split decision

India strawweight Puja Tomar makes history at UFC after she makes her debut and also wins the competition against Brazil's Amanda dos Santos in Louisville.

Reported by: Pavitra Shome
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Puja Tomar | Image: X/@UFCNews
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It was a historic night for India in Louisville, Kentucky, as the UFC Fight Night featured a top Indian MMA star, The Cyclonen Puja Tomar, who made her debut in the globally acclaimed MMA promotion, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Tomar featured in a strawweight match against Brazil's Rayanne Amanda dos Santos in what was seen as a landmark moment for the Indian women's MMA scene. The Cyclone went toe-to-toe against the Brazilian MMA star, as both landed heavy shots. But in the end, it was India's Puja Tomar who stood victorious in her UFC debut against Amanda and etched her name in gold letters.  

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Puja Tomar Wins Narrow Decision Over Rayanne Amanda at UFC Fight Night: Louisville

Puja Tomar, an Indian strawweight, faced Brazil's Rayanne Amanda dos Santos in her official UFC debut on Saturday to open the UFC Fight Night: Louisville showcase. Tomar had won her previous four fights, while Rayanne Amanda was trying to rebound from a loss in her UFC debut.

Tomar was doing a terrific job of delivering kicks to the body from range. She landed a few body kicks that appeared to hurt Amanda. Throughout the rounds, both ladies maintained a powerful performance, but Puja kept her opposition off-balance. Puja saw the openings actively capitalized with kicks and looked dominant in all the rounds against Amanda.  Tomar was the better striker in most of the rounds, and even though dos Santos tried to get dirty, but it was not effective at all. The Cyclone defeated dos Santos via split decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28). The strawweight bout's aggression and energy was something that stood out to most of the critics.

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India's Puja Tomar (Green) and Brazil's Rayanne Amanda dos Santos (Black) in action at UFC Fight Night: Louisville | Image: X/@UFC (Screengrab)
 

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Tomar, a ONE Championship veteran, has competed in both MMA and Muay Thai. However, she had struggled to advance in contests under the ONE banner, losing to Stamp Fairtex and Jihin "Shadowcat" Radzuan, among others. But she shined in her UFC debut after getting a narrow split decision win. It will be the ultimate motivation for the strawweight as she progresses further in the competition.

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08:03 IST, June 9th 2024