28-year-old Puja Tomar made history after becoming the first Indian to win a bout at the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) this year. The mixed martial art fighter won against Brazilian Rayanne dos Santos in the Women’s Strawweight (52kg) category, Tomar made her entrance to the ring with a popular Indian song playing and proudly holding the Tricolour. She subsequently clinched a historic win during the bout. Originating from Budhana in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, Tomar had to fight against the many gendered prejudices as well as financial hardships to reach her goals. She had trained in wushu, but because the sport wasn’t included in the Olympics, she had to abandon it and switch to MMA instead.