Last month, Arjan Bhullar etched his name into MMA history as the first Indian competitor to claim a world championship belt.
Bhullar (11-1) defeated Brandon Vera at ONE: Dangal on May 15, dethroning the reigning heavyweight champion with a decisive finish.
The 35-year-old martial artist, based out of Richmond, B.C., has spent years breaking barriers for Indian representation in combat sports — from pioneering Indian presence in wrestling to becoming the first Indian fighter signed by the UFC. Now, the ONE Championship gold medal adds another milestone to his legacy.
"It's been a long road and a lifetime of work, just the ups and downs, trials and tribulations, the decisions, the forks in the road, you know. All of that type of stuff. It just worked out," Bhullar told MMA Empire in a candid interview.
"It's not by luck, or chance, or any of those things. It takes a lot, a lot of work. And we had a lot of challenges heading into this fight as well that we had overcome because of that. I'm used to dealing with adversity, dealing with more challenging situations, and that's why I draw confidence going into my fights. Nothing's going to shake me."
That championship moment represents the culmination of a lifelong wrestling journey, and Bhullar says he can truly appreciate the magnitude of what he achieved.
"I knew it was going to be life-changing and I had some ideas and plans for what we can look to do afterward, but you never fully know until you get there. And it's been great so far," he shared.
"In terms of the fight, it went according to plan, so not surprised or thrown off about that. But just been really busy on the back end of this. But it's a good busy, so I'm happy."
The timing of this victory landed squarely during a devastating COVID-19 wave in India.
Bhullar sees his platform as a way to offer some comfort to his home country during one of its most challenging periods.
"Sports is supposed to bring people together, get them excited, distract maybe from some of the carnage on the ground. It's a terrible, terrible state right now and we've been trying to help out as a family as much as we can," he explained.
"I'm going to get involved more now that I have this platform, do a little more in that space. I feel this was the right thing to do at the right time. I hope it was there to bring some joy, even for a brief moment, to the folks on the ground."
The cultural resonance of ONE: Dangal gave Bhullar an almost spiritual connection to competing in the event.
Dangal has been woven into Bhullar's identity since childhood, and when the opportunity arose, he knew he couldn't pass it up.
"It's amazing, and they want superheroes. They got a different model than some other companies, right. And, you know, some things in life just line up and it was one of those things," he reflected.
"Dangal, I've been wrestling. Dangal is my entire life. I saw it with my father before me. I was not about to lose with that card shaped up the way it was. With me main eventing, there's no way, so it's one of those things. The door's open, it's just a matter of me walking through. And I'm happy I did."
India's wrestling tradition mirrors Brazilian jiu-jitsu's deep cultural roots — a discipline Bhullar picked up as a kid.
His father didn't just pass along wrestling techniques; his parents also taught him enduring life lessons as the family navigated life in Canada after facing hostility in their new home.
"I was raised right with the right values and I tried to stick to them. And it's just been amazing. I got my own kids now, I got my wife and I try to instil the same stuff into them. You got to represent who you are, always, proudly because when my folks came over that wasn't allowed," Bhullar said.
"There was a lot of racism, open racism, and you were told the complete opposite and made to feel the complete opposite. I have a platform, and I will speak as loud as I can from the platform."
Bhullar's performance against Vera played out exactly as he anticipated, from the opening bell through his second-round ground-and-pound stoppage.
Entering the title fight, Bhullar wanted to showcase his well-rounded skill set — and he believes he delivered on that promise.
"We knew what he was going to do and what he does well, but I knew what I could do and bring to the table and we executed that game plan accordingly," he noted.
"I want to show a complete (game). First, it was he's a wrestler, then it was oh, he's got some hands. And I wanted this to be 'he's got everything, he can mix it up.' That's what a world champion does and I feel we were able to show that. I'm very confident moving forward that we are going to build and build and build."
Bhullar still carries certain stylistic fingerprints from his days at American Kickboxing Academy (AKA), particularly his knack for targeting the neck to create openings for close-range strikes.
Yet he integrates those AKA fundamentals into his own unique style, customizing techniques to maximize effectiveness.
"AKA has been a huge influence. We had Cain (Velasquez), DC (Daniel Cormier), all-time great big guys. Training alongside them and just watching their game," he recalled.
"You know what, they come from the same background I do in terms of wrestling, so why reinvent the wheel? We have a blueprint for success and I wanted to copy that best I could and then add in my own personal touches. So, that is what we tried to do and what we have done."
Bhullar remains unbeaten inside ONE Championship and now that he holds the belt, contenders will be circling.
In an unusual move, Bhullar issued a direct challenge during his post-fight interview inside the ONE circle.
Kang Ji Won landed squarely on his radar, with the rising heavyweight coming off consecutive highlight-reel finishes — including a first-round stoppage of Amir Aliakbari.
"There were talks of me and Amir (Aliakbari) behind the scenes. He was being real loud on social media and that type of thing, so it just made sense to me that hey, this guy (Ji Won) punched him out within a round. He's young, he's undefeated. He actually did the same to Amir's teammate a few weeks earlier within the same month, so that's why I called him the Iranian killer," Bhullar said.
"He's the one that makes sense for that reason. Beyond that, it would be nice to keep some of the other guys busy in the division and see how things shake out, but I think he's the front runner at this point."
Bhullar's Shoutouts
"No, you know, I appreciate everyone for the support. We said we were gonna do this and we did it. And now we're gonna take over the pro wrestling industry and pick a fight there. So stay tuned. I am the king of the Dangal. And we are 1 billion strong." Follow Bhullar on social media: FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM
