Arjan Bhullar (11-1) enjoyed a meteoric rise to the top of the heavyweight mountain after joining ONE Championship in 2019, but fans have had to wait two years to see his story continue.
The ONE heavyweight world champion will finally return to “The Home of Martial Arts” this weekend, as he faces interim king Anatoly Malykhin (12-0) in a world title unification bout at ONE Friday Fights 22 on Friday, June 23.
Their much-anticipated tussle will surely be the highlight of an incredibly stacked card, and before it goes down, we look back at Bhullar’s journey in ONE so far.
Crashing onto the global stage
“Singh” moved to ONE after amassing a 9-1 run in North America that included four fights in the UFC.
The hulking heavyweight debuted to much fanfare at “ONE: Century Part II” in 2019, where he dominated former world title challenger Mauro Cerilli en route to a unanimous decision victory.
With that impressive display, the powers that be in ONE knew they had a bona fide contender on their hands, so the next assignment Bhullar was given was a shot at the divisional crown – long held by Brandon Vera at the time.
A new king is crowned
Bhullar repaid the promotion’s faith with another scintillating performance when he met Vera at “ONE: Dangal” in May 2021.
Though he was best known for his wrestling skills, having won a gold medal in sport at the Commonwealth Games, “Singh” showcased his slick boxing against the division’s inaugural king and dominated him for the better part of two rounds.
Midway through the second frame, he took “The Truth” to the canvas and swarmed with relentless punches that forced the referee to step in and call off the fight with just under a minute left in the round, ushering in a new reign at the top of the heavyweight division.
With the incredible victory, Bhullar became India’s first-ever mixed martial arts world champion.
Since then
A series of complications have kept the 37-year-old star away from competition since he toppled Vera two long years ago.
Malykhin has undoubtedly risen to prominence in that time, and he has claimed the interim heavyweight strap and the undisputed ONE light heavyweight world title.
The pair have been scheduled to meet on a number of occasions over the last 16 months, but injuries, contract negotiations, and broadcaster commitments scuppered those showdowns.
But with the heavyweight king’s two jaw-dropping performances in ONE, he has never been far from fans’ minds, so his return on June 23 will be met with great intrigue.
