Shi Ming made a powerful statement in front of her local supporters on Friday night. The strawweight tournament champion concluded the second day of Road to UFC Season 5 with an impressive first-round submission win against India’s Puja Tomar in the special main event held at Galaxy Arena in Macau.
Ming quickly neutralized Tomar’s striking advantage by closing the distance and bringing the fight to her preferred ground. After securing a takedown, Ming, known as “Dr. Sleep,” established dominant top control and systematically worked towards a decisive finish.
With patience, Shi Ming set up an arm-triangle choke. She advanced to side control, tightened the hold, and forced “The Cyclone” to tap out at 3:12 of the opening round.
This victory follows Shi Ming’s triumph in the Road to UFC Season 3, where she secured her UFC contract with a memorable head-kick knockout of Feng Xiaocan in November 2024. After her five-fight winning streak was broken by Bruna Brasil via unanimous decision last August, the doctor-turned-fighter has now earned her first UFC victory on home soil in China.
The win elevates Shi Ming’s professional MMA record to 18 wins and 6 losses, marking her seventh submission victory. She now holds a 1-1 record within the UFC.
For Tomar, this loss marks a challenging period within the promotion. “The Cyclone” has now faced consecutive submission defeats, following her loss to Shauna Bannon, bringing her UFC record to 1-2. The Indian strawweight’s professional record now stands at 9 wins and 6 losses.
English Translation
Shi Ming Sends Macau Crowd Into Frenzy as She Chokes Out Puja Tomar
Shi Ming wasted little time making a statement in front of her home fans on Friday night.
The strawweight tournament winner capped off the second day of Road to UFC Season 5 with a dominant first-round submission victory over India’s Puja Tomar in the special main event at Galaxy Arena in Macau on Friday.
Ming immediately neutralized Tomar’s striking threat by closing the distance and forcing the fight into her world. After securing a takedown, “Dr. Sleep” quickly established top control and methodically worked towards a finish.
Shi Ming patiently set up an arm-triangle choke, advancing to side control before tightening the hold and forcing “The Cyclone” to tap at the 3:12 mark of the opening round.
A winner of the Road to UFC Season 3, Ming earned her UFC contract with a highlight-reel head-kick knockout of Feng Xiaocan in November 2024. After seeing her five-fight winning streak snapped by Bruna Brasil via unanimous decision last August, the doctor-turned-fighter earned her first UFC victory on Chinese soil.
The victory improves Shi Ming’s professional record to 18-6 and gives her the seventh submission win of her career. She now stands 1-1 inside the Octagon.
For Tomar, the loss continues a difficult stretch in the promotion. “The Cyclone” has now suffered back-to-back submission defeats following her loss to Shauna Bannon and falls to 1-2 in the UFC. The Indian strawweight’s professional record now stands at 9-6.
