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After what seems like an eternity, we finally have a fighter that will carry the Indian flag in the biggest mixed martial arts promotion in the world. For years, UFC has been toying with the idea of coming to India, but hasn’t spotted a name that could plant the seeds in the country.
However, in Arjan Singh Bhullar, the Ultimate Fighting Championship has found the perfect representative. The Canadian heavyweight is a former Olympic wrestler, and won the gold at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. At UFC 215, Arjan will have the opportunity to do what he has dreamt for the past three years since transitioning to MMA.
Arjan Bhullar will become the first fighter of Indian descent to step inside the Octagon.
And the magnitude of the occasion isn’t lost on the former Olympian, who understands that, apart from creating history, he can be the catalyst to eventually bring the UFC to India.
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I caught up with Arjan to talk about various topics, including the WWE Champion, Jinder Mahal walking him down to the cage this Saturday night.
UFC 215 is almost upon us. How does it feel to be the first person to represent India in the UFC?
Arjan: It feels great. I’m excited as the day comes closer and closer. I’m getting sharper, and more excited for the moment. I’m just taking it all in, and appreciating the significance of this.
How did the training camp go leading up to the fight?
Arjan: It’s business as usual. Since I got into the sport, I’ve been preparing like every fight is the most important fight - and it is. And I’m getting better with every fight, getting sharper in different areas. We train like this is a world title fight, so when we get to that world title fight, it’s again business as usual.
So, it’s been going great. I brought in some training partners to help out in Vancouver, and mimic my opponent. And I’ve been with the same coach since I got into this sport -- since day one. So we're excited and ready to go.
Now there were a lot of reports about WWE Champion, Jinder Mahal walking you down to the Octagon. Is that happening?
Arjan: Yeah, it is. Again, if you look at that, the WWE - they see an opportunity. They see a guy that is charismatic, looks good, great wrestler, and they want the Indian market just like any other sport. And Jinder is a great representative; I’ve known the guy for a long time, he’s a great person. If he wasn’t, I wouldn’t have walked out with him -- I don’t care who it is.
I like him for who he is, and he’s a prideful Punjabi, prideful Indian. And he takes that into the ring with him, into the interviews with him. So he’s a great guy, and so are the Singh Brothers. So that allows a natural transition. We put that out there, cause the UFC and WWE have been doing a lot of cross over promotion and such.
So the walk -- out on WWE’s and UFC’s end is a green light. He’s going to be at the event; he’s going to be backstage. All that has already been done.
We’ve seen Brock Lesnar compete in the UFC while signed to WWE. How do you think the entire dynamic shapes up when it comes to the relationship between WWE and UFC?
Arjan: I think every sport needs entertainment. That’s what everyone craves. The age that we’re in, the social media, and the interaction and the reach, and the various platforms for the fans to engage -- I think that sports and entertainment go hand-in-hand if you look at any sport. And if you don’t have that, then you’re falling behind. That’s the new age (we’re living in).
I think it’s a great time to be in because they’ve cut out the middleman, those media outlets that might not cover certain stories.
So I think that’s the new age, but at the same time, Brock Lesnar was a collegiate wrestler -- NCAA wrestler. Kurt Angle is one of the greatest wrestlers to have ever come out of the U.S. He’s won at every single amateur level in wrestling. So these guys were actual wrestlers at the highest level before they ever became pro wrestlers.
So, yes, there’s crossover there, but it’s not just anybody. You take a look at CM Punk, you know what I mean? Not just anyone can jump in. This is the real deal.
Now that you’re going to compete in the UFC, where is your mind at? Does this bring more pressure than when you were fighting before?
Arjan: For me, it’s like any other fight. At the end of the day, I’m going into the cage with another human being, and we’re having a fight. I’ve done that several times now. I do that daily in training. So all that is the same; there might be more people yelling in the stands, there might be more people watching on TV. But I don’t pay attention to that anyway.
And actually, to be honest, I crave that. I wanted a big platform, and the bigger it is, the better I perform. So I look forward to that.
Lastly, do you have any message for the Indian fans?
Arjan: Indian fans, they are my motivation. We are over one billion strong, and that is my hashtag, that is what we carry wherever we go. People will know what Indians can do worldwide. Jinder is doing his thing, I’m doing mine. We’re doing much more than beyond sport; we will let people know what we are about.
We’re very proud, and we're more than just athletes. We will be speaking on many different issues that are passionate to our people. Keep supporting us, and I’m excited about the future.
