“They’ve got a huge Indian community” – Arjan Bhullar excited to be a part of ONE’s Qatar debut at ONE 166

Former ONE heavyweight MMA world champion ‘Singh’ Arjan Bhullar is getting ready to make his highly anticipated return to action in the world’s largest martial arts organization.

The 37-year-old mixed martial arts veteran is set to face surging Iranian wrestler Amir Aliakbari at ONE 166: Qatar, ONE Championship’s historic return to the Middle East.

ONE 166: Qatar broadcasts live from the Lusail Sports Arena in Lusail on Friday, March 1. Fans in the United States and Canada can visit ONE Championship’s official website for information on how to watch.

Needless to say, Bhullar is extremely excited to make his return, and perhaps even more excited because he will get to perform in Qatar, where there is a huge Indian community ready to greet and support him.

Speaking to ONE Championship in a recent interview, Bhullar talked about the importance of having the Indian community’s support for his upcoming fight.

‘Singh’ said:

“I’m very, very excited. Qatar’s an amazing place. Of course, they have [organized] the FIFA World Cup, and they’ve got a huge Indian community there and following, so it makes a lot of sense to come back on this card.”

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‘Singh’ Arjan Bhullar to make his trek back into world title contention

The 37-year-old brash Canadian-Indian mixed martial arts star was last seen in action at ONE Friday Fights 22 in June of 2023, where he went up against Russian mauler Anatoly ‘Sladkiy’ Malykhin with the undisputed ONE heavyweight MMA world title on the line.

It was a highly anticipated showdown between two of the best heavyweight MMA fighters in the world, and the action did not disappoint.

Unfortunately for Bhullar, Malykhin was at his best that night and went on to win via technical knockout in round three. Still, ‘Singh’ is looking to book himself a rematch with the Russian banger, and a victory over the surging Aliakbari would do well for his stock.