Arjan Bhullar finds himself at a crucial juncture with one singular goal in mind — to wash away the bitter taste of defeat with a resounding victory.
He will have the opportunity to do so at ONE 166: Qatar. He locks horns with Amir Aliakbari in a heavyweight MMA bout slated to happen at Lusail Sports Arena on March 1.
His path to redemption comes on the heels of a heartbreaking setback. He relinquished the ONE Heavyweight MMA World Title to Anatoly Malykhin in June 2023.
The defeat was a bitter pill to swallow for the Indian superstar. However, he knows that true champions bounce back from adversity.
“I’m a competitor [and] I like to win. But you learn your lessons and life goes on,” Bhullar said.
“The best thing that can happen is go out there, win another fight. That helps all those feelings, and that’s the plan.”
Bhullar truly understands the significance of his upcoming assignment. It presents an opportunity to put the loss to Malykhin behind him.
However, standing in his way is Aliakbari. He is a decorated Iranian wrestler who’s currently riding high on a three-fight winning streak in the world’s largest martial arts organization.
Aliakbari has been vocal about wanting to face Bhullar. Now “Singh” is delighted to accede to his fellow heavyweight’s request.
“Yeah, he has been vocal. I think he’s known for that,” Bhullar said. “I knew I was going to see him at some point. [That’s how] the heavyweight division is. As long as we both keep winning, we are going to see each other.”
Bhullar acknowledges the challenge and sees the matchup as a logical step in his journey back to the top.
“He’s had fights against similar opponents, so it’s nice. It makes sense. It makes sense for sure,” the former champion said.
