First Sikh fighter will be allowed to wear turban, a Reebok turban
Arjan Bhullar: “As of right now, that is the plan, and we’ve got the green light for that. It’s going to be a very special moment for all Indians.”
Undefeated UFC heavyweight Arjan Bhullar, the league’s first fighter of South Indian extraction, and the first Sikh, was prohibited from wearing a turban during his Octagon walkout for his successful debut vs. Luis Henrique on September 9. Although when competing internationally in wrestling Bhullar represents his nation of birth, Canada, he also wants to represent 1.3 billion people as the UFC’s first Punjabi fighter.
Bhullar said the UFC had reacted with sympathy but said wearing a turban would be a violation of the Reebok apparel deal. Now the fighter tells Steven Marrocco and Ken Hathaway for MMAjunkie that he will be able to walk out with the headwear when he faces Adam Wieczorek on April 14 at UFC on FOX 29.
As of right now, that is the plan, and we’ve got the green light for that, said Bhullar. It’s going to be a very special moment for all Indians.
Bhullar says a way around the previous prohibition is a Reebok turban, similar to Nike’s pro hijab, as seen below adorning German boxer Zeina Nassar.
That was a great product, a positive PR campaign, and it was something embraced worldwide, said Bhullar. Not just by the athletes, but by Muslims. For us, Indians, a turban would be huge. There’s no product like that out there.
I’m sure once we get our ducks in a row, it would be something to celebrate and push.”
While the turban is an item of fashion, it is also a central part of being a Sikh. The world’s fifth largest faith developed during the 15th through 18th centuries in South Asia, when the turban was worn only by society’s elite. However, Sikhism is an egalitarian faith, and mandated that all believers wear the turban as a sign of equality. Keeping the head covered in public or in religious spaces is also a sign of respect.