India will soon have female representation in the UFC.
On Tuesday, strawweight Puja Tomar revealed she recently signed with the UFC, making her the first India-born woman in the promotion’s history. The news was also confirmed by her management, First Round Management Europe.
No debut date or opponent was announced.
Tomar (8-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is on a four-fight winning streak. She is the Matrix Fight Night strawweight champion. Her UFC signing marks her second major promotional stint. Tomar competed in four MMA fights and one muay Thai bout for ONE Championship from 2017-2020. She was successful in one of the five outings, a 2019 split decision victory over Priscilla Gaol.
“Today marks a moment in history, where a young girl from UP Budhana bijrol can turn her dream into reality,” Tomar wrote on Instagram. “It marks a moment where anything is possible, no matter where we are from, becuase if I can get here, so can many of us.”
While Tomar is the first India-born woman, Bharat Khandare, who made one UFC appearance in November 2017, was the first overall. Khandare lost to Song Yadong by first-round submission and was later flagged by USADA for prohibited substances. He was suspended two years and has not competed since.
