“We’re putting this Iranian to sleep” – Arjan Bhullar looks to end Amir Aliakbari’s night early at ONE 166 on March 1

Heavyweight MMA star Arjan Bhullar wants to enjoy a quick night out in the office when he returns at ONE 166: Qatar on March 1.

The American Kickboxing Academy athlete, who is India’s first-ever MMA world champion, will lock horns against Iranian behemoth Amir Aliakbari in a key fixture inside the Lusail Sports Arena.

Though there is no guarantee whether or not a victory would earn him a rematch against two-division king Anatoly Malykhin, ‘Singh’ hopes to do everything on his end to ensure that could be the case.

Speaking to Sportsmanor, Arjan Bhullar confessed that the ONE world title remains high on his priority list and why a victory on the promotion’s debut card in Qatar will be a perfect stepping stone for him to regain the throne he once owned.

The 37-year-old said:

“This journey is not over. Tune in to March 1. We are putting this Iranian to sleep in Qatar. I believe that a win is there for me.”

Watch the full interview here:

---

Arjan Bhullar’s time at ONE has showcased that he is one of the best heavyweights

Across three fights under the ONE banner thus far, ‘Singh’ has picked up two victories and one defeat.

In his debut at ONE: Century Part II in October 2019, the Canadian-Indian fighter dominated Italy’s Mauro Cerilli to walk away with a unanimous decision win.

Almost two years later, he grabbed the sport’s most prized possession with a round-two finish of longtime kingpin Brandon Vera.

Unfortunately for Arjan Bhullar, he failed to defend his heavyweight MMA crown at the first time of asking when he went toe-to-toe with ‘Sladkiy’ at ONE Friday Fights 22 in June last year.

The 36-year-old Golden Team representative was at his sparkling best throughout their fight inside the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, as he finished ‘Singh’ near the midway point of the third stanza.

Despite the loss, and based on his previous fights, Bhullar’s technical prowess on the canvas and the feet remains one of the most potent in the division, two tools that tremendously helped him when he claimed the crown against Vera at ONE: Dangal in May 2021.

Arjan Bhullar will look to showcase just that once more when he squares off with Aliakbari next month.

ONE 166: Qatar is available to all North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription on March 1.