"What a win for India", "Judges are insane" - Internet divided after Puja Tomar creates history by becoming the first Indian woman to win a UFC fightÂ
UFC Louisville did not have the same draw as UFC 302 but did feature at least one historic fight. In the first fight of the night, Puja Tomar became the first female Indian fighter to compete in the octagon.
After an action-packed 15-minute fight, Tomar was given a split-decision victory despite being out-struck and constantly pressured by Rayanne Amanda dos Santos. With the win, the 30-year-old improved to 9-4 as a professional.
Several fans reacted to the win, recognizing the importance of the moment for both Tomar and the entire country of India.
One commented:
"Lol, what a win for India"
Others, however, were less enthused, believing dos Santos had done enough to get credit for a win. Several were appalled by the "insane" official decision, with another user writing:
"BS scorecards. Judges are insane"
Other fans commented:
"Kinda reminded me of when Mike Breeden started barking"
"Hyping up a fake win is wild"
"Lol. She got beat up. This is more than just a sport nowadays and it's disgusting"
"That was massive"
View more fan reactions to Puja Tomar's victory on UFC debut below:
![Fans react to Puja Tomar's win at UFC Louisville [via @espnmma on X]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/06/17b92-17178851435508-1920.jpg?w=500)
Rayanne Amanda dos Santos vs. Puja Tomar official scorecards
With Puja Tomar's monumental win to open UFC Louisville, many fans felt that the event immediately began with controversy.
Of the three judges assigned to the opening bout, Sal D'Amato was the lone official to score the fight in favor of Rayanne Amanda dos Santos, giving her all three rounds. Matt Jones completely opposed his view, scoring the fight 30-27 in favor of Tomar.
The deciding judge, Derek Cleary, gave Tomar the edge in the final two rounds, awarding the Indian with a 29-28 score and thus giving her the split decision nod.
While many did not agree with the decision, Tomar was consistently active with her striking despite backpedaling. On one of the many side kicks she landed throughout the fight, Tomar knocked dos Santos down in the final round, though it was not officially scored a knockdown.