It is an iconic first for combat sports in India after Canadian national Arjan Singh Bhullar was signed by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is of Indian Sikh origin and confirmed his participation on his Facebook page.
The post stated, “FROM THE OLYMPIC GAMES, TO THE UFC! Another glass ceiling has been smashed. It's official, we are headed to the UFC! When you are headed into battle and need the job done right, you call a Sikh....and they called the right one. I will proudly represent the Maple Leaf and be the ambassador for over 1.7 billion South Asians. I fully appreciate the significance of this moment, and understand the seriousness of the task at hand. We will prepare accordingly. Stay tuned for more details.”
It is indeed a proud moment for Indian MMA fans, who will finally see an athlete from Indian origin step into the iconic UFC octagon.
He has been a dominant force in Canada in the mixed martial arts circuit, with a perfect record of six wins and zero losses. In his last event on April 29 last month, he recorded victory against Joe Yager in the Battlefield Fight League.
He has another connect with India and a quite memorable one at that. He was a wrestler for the Canadian national team and won a bronze medal at the Pan American Games in 2007, which was to be followed by a gold at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in 2010.
He was named Canadian wrestler of the year in 2009 and also made the cut for the London Olympic Games, where he finished 13th in the 120kg freestyle category. At university level, he won two national championship titles as well.
The UFC was founded in November 1993 and is based in Las Vegas, USA. It is owned and run by a company named William Morris Endeavor and is the largest MMA promotion in the world, featuring the best top-ranked fighters in the game. So far, it has held over 300 events across 10 weight divisions and for over a decade, it has been the most popular competition of its kind.
In a recent interview, Bhullar had spoken about wanting to make it to UFC, which has finally come true. He has a bright future ahead of him and we wish him all the best for the new step in his career.
