Puja Tomar looks to continue historic run in second UFC bout – MMA News Today Sports News

File photo | Puja Tomar of India
| Photo Credit: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Nine months after she made history becoming the first Indian to win a fight at the Ultimate Fighting Championships – the most prestigious mixed martial arts promotion – Puja Tomar is ready to prove her record setting achievement was no flash in the pan.

“After my last fight, a lot of people got to know that India has a fighter in the UFC who can win. They found out there is this person named Puja Tomar. Now they have expectations from me. I’m ready for that,” she told The Hindu.

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Puja herself wasn’t entirely aware of just how much had changed after she beat Amanda Rayanne by split decision in UFC Fight Night – Cannonier vs Imavov, in June last year.

“I knew that I was doing something important. One of the UFC commentators – I think he was Michael Bisping — told me before the fight just how proud everyone was that I was even fighting at this level. And after the fight (UFC women’s champion), Valentina Shevchenko also congratulated me. These are very big people, but they are still connected to the sport. But when I came back to India, I suddenly realised that it was bigger than that,” she said.

Very soon there were messages and calls coming in from celebrities – including her favourite actress Preity Zinta.

“Another actor from the TV Show Roadies told me how he screamed when I got my hand raised. That’s when I thought, wow, maybe this is something special,” she adds.

While Puja says a part of her wanted to soak in the adulation as much as possible, she had to decide otherwise.

“It wasn’t that easy. My father passed away when I was very young and it’s only my mother, who stays alone. I wanted to spend time with her, but she insisted I go back to train. She told me it was ok. She said I’ve come so far; I have to go back to train until I achieve all that I want,” Puja recalled.

She has indeed.

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Puja started her career back in 2013 with a dismal 5-5 record before eventually putting together an unbeaten five-fight win streak that would see her make the UFC.

“I was actually 4-5 after my first nine fights. I had so many financial issues. I didn’t have any knowledge. I didn’t even have a coach to guide me. I just watched videos on YouTube. I started from there. It’s taken so much effort to get to where I am now,” she said.

Puja was supposed to fight a lot sooner than this weekend, but a minor injury pushed back the date for her second UFC fight. She has been training for the last three months at Soma fight Club in Bali and is raring to go.

“I felt although I won (in my last fight), I had a lot to improve on. In my last fight, I was fighting too much off the back foot. I want to be a little more aggressive this time and I want to show my striking. My opponent is a Taekwondo player with some knowledge of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. But I think I can match her in striking. I’ve worked on that. I think I’ve improved on it,” she concluded.