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“People liked boys more, so I beat them up,” says UP girl who made MMA history

story June 16, 2024
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Puja Tomar was dedicated to martial arts for money and respect. When the village of Budhana welcomed the victor with garlands and dhols, it was also a blow against patriarchy
Puja Tomar began fighting first out of anger, then for money, and finally for respect. The third daughter of a Jat family living in Budhana village in Muzaffarnagar in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, Tomar knew that her life was defined by what she was not. She was not a boy and was not truly desired, not by her family or relatives, and certainly not by her community.

On June 9, Tomar did something that changed everyone's mind. She made history, not only as the first Indian fighter to sign up with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), but also as the first Indian woman to win a fight. Dedicating her victory to her mother and her country, Tomar said, “This is not just my victory. This victory is for all Indian fans and all Indian fighters who people didn't think could be standing here.”

FIGHTING SPIRIT
Her father, a tractor dealer, quickly accepted her fate and loved all three daughters in his own way. He wanted them to be tough and athletic and ready to face the harsh world. “Main bachpan main sochti thi, sab duniya so rahi hai aur hum daud rahe hain (I always wondered why we run when the whole village is asleep),” she recalls today. Tomar's father died in an accident when she was six and suddenly everything changed. “From being spoiled with new clothes to fighting for two meals a day, it was a big shock for our family. But my mother is a very strong person and made sure we all got an education.”

Her older sisters showed academic ability – one is now a doctor and the other a nurse – but Tomar couldn't imagine throwing herself into the books. She would rather beat up boys. “I knew everyone liked boys more than girls. So I thought if I beat them up, people will like me,” says Tomar, who watched Jackie Chan movies to learn a few tricks. That helped her relieve some of the frustration she felt back then when relatives pressured her mother to stop her from going out and hanging out with boys. She spent her days on the small plot of land where the family grew sugarcane, their only source of food.

At school, Tomar tried karate, even winning a few competitions and perfecting a deadly sidekick. “I was a street fighter. Lots of strength from hours on the farm, but no technique,” she adds. At around 17, Tomar discovered the martial art of wushu by chance and quickly learned to excel at it despite very little guidance or help, winning five national championship titles. Her mother's mantra always ran through her mind: 'Darna nahi hai, maarna hai' (Don't be afraid, fight hard). “I was winning but earning nothing, and although everyone at home supported me, I knew I was short of money,” she says. Her sister's tuition fees had been an additional burden. In 2017, Tomar was offered Rs 50,000 for a mixed martial arts (MMA) fight. “I just asked 'where?' I was ready to fight anyone to earn a few bucks,” she recalls.

While she was wrestling, kicking and boxing her way through, she was discovered by the Matrix Fight Night (MFN) company, promoted by Bollywood star Tiger Shroff, his mother Ayesha and sister Krishna. In 2022, Ayesha Shroff offered to pay for her training at the Soma Fight Club in Bali, Indonesia. Finally, things seem to be looking up. “They said I had potential but I needed to train properly,” says Tomar. So, at 28, Tomar finally found a dedicated trainer who corrected her technique, gave her a game plan against her opponents and monitored her training and diet. “Pitte, pitte… peetna seekha.” (After getting beaten up several times, I learned how to outsmart others.)

WINNING BATTLES
In June 2023, Tomar stepped into the ring and won the MFN World Championship. “I came home and gave my mother the championship belt. Again, a boy from the village caused trouble. He told her that it was a small belt and that I should bring back the big belt, the UFC belt. He didn't let me enjoy my victory even for a day,” she laughs.

Exactly one year later, when she stepped into the Octagon for the UFC fight on June 9, she was fighting for respect. After the second round of the tough 15-minute bout, Tomar felt fatigue overcoming her, and she remembers her trainer shaking her and telling her, “Ankhen khol aur maar” (Open your eyes and strike). “I just gathered all my willpower.” Her Brazilian opponent, Rayanne dos Santos, tried to intimidate her by screaming, and Tomar screamed back. And then she landed her signature sidekick that sent dos Santos flying across the ring. Her kicks and punches didn't stop, while her trainer's words rang in her ears: “Don't worry, stay standing no matter what.” The final five minutes felt like an eternity, Tomar says, as she earned a victory by split decision of 30-27, 27-30, 29-28. “After that, I just collapsed,” she says.

Her sparring partner of 12 years, Himanshu Kaushik, says he has never met anyone as strong-willed as her. “That's what has defined her through all these years of fighting,” he says. After the fight, Tomar was treated to a 'chicken wala with buffalo sauce' pizza, which was a sad substitute for her all-time favourite food: sarson ka saag and makki ki roti, but it still felt like the best meal in the world. The 30-year-old has since been busy giving media interviews and advising village girls on how to start their MMA journey. “They all want to fight now,” she says with obvious pride.

And on June 13, Budhana welcomed his daughter, hoping to drown the judgment it had passed in the past with garlands and dagger trees.

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