Arjan Bhullar explains why he doesn’t rely on his world-class wrestling in MMA fights: “What gets me excited in training is the new stuff”

Former ONE heavyweight MMA world champion Arjan Bhullar says he doesn’t want to rest on his laurels alone when it comes to his world-class wrestling skills in MMA fights. The truth of the matter is that he is ready to implement more than just wrestling into his repertoire.

The Canadian-Indian fighter makes his return to ONE Championship this year to face Iranian powerhouse Amir Aliakbari in a high-stakes heavyweight battle at ONE 166: Qatar on Friday, March 1.

With that said, ‘Singh’ is excited to showcase more than just a traditional style like wrestling but also some other “new” things he’s learned along the way.

Speaking to Sportsmanor ahead of his next fight, Bhullar said:

“Absolutely, it’s still one of my biggest strengths. I've done it the longest, but it's not the part that makes me the most excited. What gets me excited in training is the new stuff and that's why I like boxing and kickboxing and that type of thing.”

Catch the full interview below:

It’s been a little over a year since we last saw Bhullar inside an MMA cage. He’s been working hard behind the scenes playing catch-up since he lost his belt to divisional king Anatoly Malykhin via knockout in December 2022.

But the chance to redeem himself on the world stage will be a tough endeavor. Aliakbari is coming in hot with two knockouts and one submission in his last three fights. He’s also a Greco-Roman wrestling champion by trade, which makes for an even more exciting matchup.

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Arjan Bhullar hopes to draw energy from the crowd to help him defeat Amir Aliakbari

There’s only a handful of Indian fighters who have made it big in the mixed martial arts world - and one of them is Arjan Bhullar.

Becoming India’s first MMA world champion is no small feat. However, the responsibility that comes with it is all the more difficult. There are certain expectations to uphold as a former champ, so Bhullar hopes he can make his countrymen proud with a big win on March 1.

One way Bhullar can achieve that is to rely on the energy of his fans to secure the victory. Speaking to ONE Championship, he said:

“We’ve got the Iranian coming in. And he thinks he’s going to do what he’s going to do. But with the support of my people, I will feel that energy, and I hope they come to enjoy the event and enjoy the ONE show.”

ONE 166: Qatar will air live on March 1 free of charge for existing Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada