Arjan Bhullar heeds Muhammad Ali’s words ahead of world title unification bout

Arjan Bhullar used a Muhammad Ali quote to motivate himself for his upcoming world championship fight.

In May 2021, Bhullar dethroned Brandon Vera for the ONE heavyweight world title with a second-round TKO. Since then, ‘Singh’ hasn’t defended his throne due to injuries and contract negotiations.

During Bhullar’s absence, Anatoly Malykhin became the interim heavyweight world titleholder by defeating Kirill Grishenko in February 2022. The heavyweight unification bout has been canceled twice before being rescheduled for June 23 at ONE Friday Fights 22.

Ahead of his highly-anticipated fight against Malykhin, Bhullar recently shared some training photos on Instagram, with the caption saying:

"'The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights.' - Muhammad Ali"

After claiming the ONE interim heavyweight world title, Anatoly Malykhin stayed busy by taking the ONE light heavyweight world title from Reinier de Ridder. Malykhin extended his undefeated promotional run with a shocking first-round knockout against De Ridder, making him one of the most dangerous fighters on the ONE roster and a two-division world champion.

Meanwhile, Arjan Bhullar is ready to silence the doubters on June 23. ‘Singh’ holds a 2-0 promotional record with wins against Mauro Cerilli and Brandon Vera. Unfortunately, the heavyweight world champion’s inactivity has led to questions about his chance to defeat Malykhin. The 37-year-old now looks to prove he’s the best heavyweight in ONE.

Arjan Bhullar vs. Anatoly Malykhin will be held in Bangkok, Thailand, for the heavyweight world title unification bout on June 23. ONE Friday Fights 22 goes down inside the legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.