MUMBAI: Mixed martial arts athlete, Puja "The Cyclone" Tomar, made her Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) debut as India's first female fighter in UFC, and scored a victory to achieve a historic milestone by becoming the first Indian to win a bout in the UFC.

Tomar who hails from Uttar Pradesh, faced Rayanne dos Santos at strawweight in the very first bout of the card. Tomar and dos Santos went all three rounds: 15 minutes of gruelling, fast-paced back-and-forth action. Santos used her height advantage and range to dictate the action, but Tomar went kicking and screaming to the final bell, causing damage in the process. When the scorecards were read, Tomar picked up a split decision win (30-27, 27-30, 29-28).