The ongoing T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA might have taken the attention of Indian sports fans, but that has not stopped Puja Tomar from making the headlines. Hailing from Uttar Pradesh state of India, Puja recently became the first Indian&nbsp;to win an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) match, scripting history for the nation. An expert in Mixed Martial Art (MMA), Puja spoke exclusively to WION as she reflected on her journey to stardom highlighting the challenges she faced.

Born in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar, Puja started her journey as a seven-year-old when she saw boys wrestle in the muddy fields before taking sports seriously. The seriousness was to such an extent that on 8 June 2024, Puja beat Brazil's Rayanne Amanda dos Santos to become the first Indian to win a UFC match. Here is an in-depth conversation with Puja as she decoded her journey while speaking with WION’s Aditya Pimpale in New Delhi during an event held by IOS Sports &amp; Entertainment.

Question: What was your feeling after becoming the first Indian&nbsp;to win a UFC fight?

Answer: It was an amassing feeling to win the UFC fight especially when I was carrying the weight of the nation. I felt goosebumps at the start of the match, but my confidence grew as the bout progressed before finally claiming the prize win. This was always my dream to make the nation proud at the global stage.

Question: How was the support of the family and what role did they play?

Answer: The entire credit for my success goes to my mother as she helped me grow in the sport. Without her, I cannot be the person that I am today, when society was supporting male athletes she was the one who stood behind me and helped me achieve the heights.

ASLO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/explained-scenarios-for-england-south-africa-and-west-indies-to-reach-semifinal-of-t20-world-cup-2024-734135">Explained: Scenarios for England, South Africa and West Indies to reach semifinal of T20 World Cup 2024</a>

Question: Did you get any support from the government during this tough run in the UFC?

Answer: Unfortunately, I have not been backed up financially by the government although they have noticed my success. I would urge the government to turn their attention to a sport like UFC where we are now finding grip. I would urge the government to help fund the future generations as well.

Question: What is the mystery behind your nickname “The Cyclone” which has been with you for a long time?

Answer: Again the credit for this goes to my coaches at a young age I was very aggressive with the moves which saw my opponents go on the back foot as if they were fighting a cyclone. Ever since my younger days, I have carried nickname “The Cyclone” highlighting my dominance at the independent circuit.

The ongoing T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA might have taken the attention of Indian sports fans, but that has not stopped Puja Tomar from making the headlines.

The ongoing T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA might have taken the attention of Indian sports fans, but that has not stopped Puja Tomar from making the headlines. Hailing from Uttar Pradesh state of India, Puja recently became the first Indian to win an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) match, scripting history for the nation. An expert in Mixed Martial Art (MMA), Puja spoke exclusively to WION as she reflected on her journey to stardom highlighting the challenges she faced. Born in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar, Puja started her journey as a seven-year-old when she saw boys wrestle in the muddy fields before taking sports seriously. The seriousness was to such an extent that on 8 June 2024, Puja beat Brazil's Rayanne Amanda dos Santos to become the first Indian to win a UFC match. Here is an in-depth conversation with Puja as she decoded her journey while speaking with WION’s Aditya Pimpale in New Delhi during an event held by IOS Sports & Entertainment. Question: What was your feeling after becoming the first Indian to win a UFC fight? Answer: It was an amassing feeling to win the UFC fight especially when I was carrying the weight of the nation. I felt goosebumps at the start of the match, but my confidence grew as the bout progressed before finally claiming the prize win. This was always my dream to make the nation proud at the global stage. Question: How was the support of the family and what role did they play? Answer: The entire credit for my success goes to my mother as she helped me grow in the sport. Without her, I cannot be the person that I am today, when society was supporting male athletes she was the one who stood behind me and helped me achieve the heights. ASLO READ | Explained: Scenarios for England, South Africa and West Indies to reach semifinal of T20 World Cup 2024 Question: Did you get any support from the government during this tough run in the UFC? Answer: Unfortunately, I have not been backed up financially by the government although they have noticed my success. I would urge the government to turn their attention to a sport like UFC where we are now finding grip. I would urge the government to help fund the future generations as well. Question: What is the mystery behind your nickname “The Cyclone” which has been with you for a long time? Answer: Again the credit for this goes to my coaches at a young age I was very aggressive with the moves which saw my opponents go on the back foot as if they were fighting a cyclone. Ever since my younger days, I have carried nickname “The Cyclone” highlighting my dominance at the independent circuit.

EXCLUSIVE: Dream was to make the nation proud at global stage - Puja Tomar reflects on her historic UFC win

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EXCLUSIVE: Dream was to make the nation proud at global stage - Puja Tomar reflects on her historic UFC win