Arjan Bhullar says delays in unification bout only positive: “It will be a bigger win now”

Fans have been waiting a long time for reigning ONE heavyweight world champion ‘Singh’ Arjan Bhullar to unify the belts with ONE interim heavyweight world champion ‘Sladkiy’ Anatoly Malykhin.

The highly anticipated bout has been scheduled and rescheduled multiple times due to various factors, causing a massive delay. Thankfully, a fight that was supposed to happen almost two years ago is finally happening this week, and fans couldn’t be more excited.

Bhullar, for one, believes the delay in putting this fight together has been positive, mainly due to the rise of Malykhin. In a recent interview with MMA Underground, Bhullar shared the silver lining on why this fight is better happening now than if it happened back then.

The Indian-Canada MMA star said:

“I think definitely, it’s a great time to come back. It will be a bigger win now than it would have been two years ago.”

Catch the full interview below:

Bhullar has been out of action since winning the ONE heavyweight world title from former divisional king Brandon Vera in 2021. Due to lengthy contract negotiations, and being sidelined by an injury, Bhullar has been out of commission for the past two years.

During this period, Malykhin saw his star explode into orbit, and he is now considered one of the most dangerous heavyweight fighters in the world. The Russian mauler’s combination of ruthlessness and raw strength has been captivating, to say the least.

Now, Malykhin is the perfect dance partner for Bhullar in one of the biggest heavyweight fights in ONE Championship history.

Bhullar and Malykhin will attempt to unify the ONE heavyweight world title at ONE Friday Fights 22, which takes place at the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, June 23, in Asia primetime.

Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action live and for free on ONE Championship’s official YouTube channel.