Pooja Tomar laughs nervously. She makes a difficult revelation - her parents didn't want her because she's a girl. The confession surprises journalists, but for Tomar - the only Indian in UFC history, it's the reason she's giving this interview, writes bTV. Her difficult start in life toughens her - helps her become extremely tough. To build a strong character and career. And to never stop fighting for what she believes in.
Indian society
"My family and this society don't allow girls. They only like boys", Tomar reveals to BBC Sport. "Before I was born, they wanted a boy. When I was little, my mother said my father didn't want a third girl."
Puja, 31, was born in the small village of Budhana in Uttar Pradesh, a region in northern India. Historically, it has been common for Indian families to want boys over girls. This is especially common in poor families. There are reports of unwanted baby girls being burned alive or left to die in clay pots in the wilderness.
The reason is rooted in cultural beliefs that a boy carries on the family name, will take care of his parents when they get old, and will perform the necessary rituals when they die. While girls will cost them a dowry and be abandoned to go to their husbands' homes.
Tomar is the third girl in the family. But she doesn't let misogyny break her.
She lost her father at the age of 7 and with the support of her mother, she started training. "I wanted to beat the boys. So I watched Jackie Chan movies and learned kung fu so that I could beat the boys. Even on the road, I would go up to the boys and challenge them. I wanted to prove myself. Then I realized that I could be in the sport, but no one told me how to do it. My cousins, my family - no one lets girls go out of India. But my mother fights for this day", adds Tomar.
Parents should be proud to have a daughter
Tomar made a successful UFC debut in June last year. Using the platform that UFC gives her, Pooja Tomar wants parents in India to see the potential in their daughters and treat them the same way they treat their sons.
"I want to tell every parent to be proud to have a daughter. Instill confidence in your daughters, believe in them. If I can do it, many others can. Just open the door. Don't think that a girl only has to cook, a girl can do anything, just give them a chance."
After her UFC debut, parents in her village started asking her how their girls could start training in mixed martial arts (MMA).
Pooja started MMA when she was 24, but she had a hard time finding a gym in India to train in. "I had no experience, I had no coach. Training MMA in India is very difficult. In my society, to train with men, I have to be fully clothed. It's very difficult."
Pooja later moved to Bali, where she trained at Soma Fight Club. She signed with the UFC in 2023 after a four-fight winning streak. "One day I will show the world that a girl's place is not just in the kitchen", Pooja Tomar is adamant.