In October 2023, the UFC signed its first Indian female fighter, Pooja Tomar. In June 2024, she won on her UFC debut. In 2025, he suffered his first loss inside the Octagon. And now, in 2026, Tomar will step out in Macau for his third UFC bout, this time against a Chinese opponent, in front of a Chinese crowd.Tomar has been at the center of Indian MMA’s most important period of international exposure. Along the way he has also learned that being the first to do something and being secure in your position are two very different things. The UFC does not keep fighters on its roster for symbolic reasons. The record is to be transferred.His UFC record currently stands at 1-1, and at 32 years old, there’s no way he’ll be drafted for the future. A win is crucial for the Buddhana-born fighter to maintain momentum and keep his options open. However, a loss could put him at a crossroads. Tomar understands this fact and does not try to manufacture it.“I haven’t talked to anyone about it. [my UFC future]But yes, my team and my coach always tell me that winning is very important for Pooja, and I believe that too. For me, for my country, and for Indian MMA, this win is very important,” Tomar told TimesofIndia.com ahead of his fight against Shi Ming.
Dao in Macau
Ming arrived in Macau as something of a domestic fighter. The Chinese strawweight won the Road to UFC Season 3 tournament to earn his UFC contract, and although he himself is coming off a loss to Bruna Brazil last August, many remember Ming’s stunning knockout of Feng Xiaocan in 2024, a brutal head kick that sent Xiaocan to the hospital and earned him a UFC contract.Tomar, though, appears unfazed by Ming credentials. Ming’s professional record reads 17-6-0 compared to Tomar’s 9-5-0.“I understand that, yes, I was in the UFC before Shi Ming,” Tomar said confidently. “And I’ve fought some very good fighters as well. So I think I’ve gained good experience, and I’m sure I can do better.”And Tomar is laser-focused on getting a big win.“I think I’ve worked harder this time. I want to make my UFC record 2-1, and I need this win for that. That’s all I’m focused on right now. There’s nothing else on my mind, I just want to go out there and get a big win back,” she said.
Slow growth of MMA exposure in India
Tomar’s signing was historic, and following his win on his UFC debut in Louisville in 2024, the response in India was warm, wide and, in short, loud. He believes that his presence on the global stage will have a greater impact on the development of MMA in India.“After my first win, I saw that MMA in India has grown a lot. People started realizing that Indian fighters are also competing in the UFC. Many people in India watch the UFC, but even today many people don’t know that Indians represent the country in the UFC.“For me, it’s been about winning more fights so that Indian fighters can get recognition in our own country, and people can see Indian athletes competing at this level in the UFC,” he said.Aside from the fight, Macau also represents an important moment for South Asian MMA. On the same Road to UFC Season 5 card, at least one other Indian fighter will square off alongside the Nepalese athlete. In UFC history, it has been truly rare to have more than one South Asian athlete on a card. For Tomar, this is a sign of things to come.“It’s always been like that, if I’m single and I win, it’s going to open a lot of doors for a lot of MMA fighters in the future,” he said. “This time there are already two, next time there will be four, then ten. This is how the game will grow.”Chungreng Koren, the former Matrix Fight Night interim bantamweight champion nicknamed ‘The Indian Rhino’, will take on Japan’s Ryoho Miyaguchi as a late replacement in the Road to UFC Season 5 quarterfinals on May 28. Nepal’s Rabindra Dhant will enter the same bantamweight bracket as the first Nepali fighter to appear on the Road to UFC series, Dant also emerging from Matrix Fight Night and someone who has faced the Korean before.
Why Tomar believes MMA can go mainstream in India.
The sport itself has changed the conversation around MMA in India, even if it hasn’t changed enough yet. For Tomar, the days when explaining MMA to a skeptical Indian parent meant starting from scratch are slowly coming to an end.“A lot has changed compared to before. There is a new generation that is very excited to be MMA fighters. MMA has progressed a lot since the early days, although some people are still not completely satisfied with the sport. They feel that other sports are safer. But overall, the sport has definitely progressed a lot.”And Tomar has witnessed this transformation firsthand.“Many girls from my village come to visit me now,” she said. “In my own family, I have a niece who started boxing a bit after watching me.“They think, if Pooja can do it, why can’t we? Things were much more difficult then, and there is much more freedom and opportunity today. The main thing is that they should never give up.”
From Buddhana to UFC
Tomar Badhana, Muzaffarnagar, grew up in a farming community, where she lost her father at an early age, worked in sugarcane fields as a child, and left for Meerut around 12 when a local karate teacher sparked her interest in martial arts at school.She would go on to train formally in Wushu, win five national gold medals and represent India at the World Wushu Championships.When the Sports Authority of India offered him a government job, he turned it down. At the same time, his sister was in medical school and needed financial support. Tomar heard that someone in Delhi would pay him to fight in MMA, and he accepted, initially helping to cover the tuition fees.She turned professional in the Superfight League in October 2013, finishing her first two opponents in 21 and 24 seconds respectively.After a hiatus, she returned in 2017 and signed with ONE Championship, where she suffered three losses before being released in 2020.She rebuilt her career through India’s Matrix Fight Night circuit, winning four straight bouts between 2021 and 2023, including the inaugural MFN Women’s Strawweight Championship. This run eventually earned him a UFC contract.Tomar has previously talked about helping MMA grow in India by building gyms, infrastructure, and avenues for fighters. But ask him what will make the Indian public truly wake up and watch the game, and the inevitable IPL comparison enters the conversation.“Maybe not now. [a UFC event in India]but in the coming years, UFC can reach the level of IPL in India,” he said. “The day UFC hosts an event in India, many people will understand the level of the sport and how big it really is.”Whether she’ll still be fighting when the moment comes is a question that can help Macao respond to that fight. A win keeps the road open.
