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On Saturday, June 8, Pooja Tomar became the first Indian woman to win a match in the UFC during the Fight Night event at the Yum! Center in Louisville. The 30-year-old, who was competing in the UFC for the first time in her career, got the better of Rayanne dos Santos of Brazil by a split decision in the strawweight division.
The action at the UFC Louisville kicked off with the Indian Pooja Tomar making her debut in the promotion against Rayanne dos Santos. She started the bout inside the octagon with heavy kicks to the body of the opponent to keep her on the outside in the first round.
In the second and third rounds, Rayanne dos Santos was the one who pushed forward for the initiative, leaving Pooja Tomar to rely on the counter while being on the backfoot. The intensity of the fight was raised in the later stages, which led to the decision going to the judges' scorecard, who ruled it in favour of Tomar by a split decision (30-27, 27-30, 29-28).
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Pooja Tomar dedicates her UFC debut win to India
After winning her debut fight in the UFC, Pooja Tomar spoke to a journalist about her performance and said, “I am feeling really good. I came to (UFC Louisville) thinking that I have to win this fight. Amazing. I feel amazing. She also remarked, “It was good that I was fighting, but that walking song of mine was for my country India. I was representing India on the world stage with the tricolour.”
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Moreover, the main event of the UFC Louisville saw Nassourdine Imavov of France defeat the American Jared Cannonier by TKO at 1:34 minutes in round 4 in the middleweight division.
