Indian MMA fighter Puja Tomar retained her Strawweight title on Saturday as she reigned supreme over Russia's Anastasia Feofanova in the first-ever all-women's main event at MFN 12 in Noida Indoor Stadium.
The Indian fought valiantly in a nail-biting fight that continued for four rounds. Tomar showcased excellent defensive prowess throughout the bout and despite Anastasia's long reach, she managed to keep her opponent at a distance.
Hard work pays off😊💪
— puja tomar (@pujatomar19) July 2, 2023
Thanks to @mfn_mma @ayeshashroff @kishushroff for the opportunity. Thanks to my coach @thefighterscoach for motivating and guiding me. Thanks to my Family and Friends for supporting me. Thanks to my Fans for all their love, support and care.
@somafightclub pic.twitter.com/zqfL0WQ9CH
After retaining her title, Tomar said,
Before I say anything, I want to thank my late father. I am sure he will be proud to see me. My family's constant support has been the reason for me reaching this point in my MMA career.
As the Indian fighter registered yet another win, we take a look at Puja Tomar's journey as India's rising MMA star.
Who is Puja Tomar, India's rising MMA star?
Tomar grew up in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar and learned Martial Arts from an early age. She idolised Jackie Chan as a child which inspired her to master the practice of fight.
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The death of her father, when she was just six, was another reason, she had to master the art of self defence in order to protect her family of three sisters and mother.
In an interview with Scroll, Tomar recalled her childhood days,
It was just us three sisters. One of my sisters had a problem in her leg and I used to get really angry when somebody troubled or teased her for it.
I had started beating up the boys for that. Growing up, I used to watch films starring Jackie Chan and I thought that I could learn some things from his stunts and execute them against these boys. Gradually, I just moved towards martial arts then.
Other than being a five-time Wushu champion, Tomar also learned karate and taekwondo.
The Indian star is grateful to her mother for encouraging her to pursue MMA professionally as she considers her as a major source of inspiration.
Tomar continued,
My mother is a bigger warrior than me. She stood against my massive family and pushed me to pursue MMA. She said, ‘Jaa, fight kar, main dekh lungi.’ She used to see the passion that I had and knew I could do it. My extended family used to say things like I have black eye (after a fight) and that I would have trouble getting married. But, she didn’t worry about any of it.
Before fighting in MFN, she also featured in Super Fight League and the ONE Championship – one of the biggest MMA promotions in South Asia.
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