Son of an immigrant from Punjab, Indian-Canadian Arjan Singh Bhullar has won the coveted MMA championship in Singapore this year
By Dr Neelam Batra-Verma
From learning to do kushti (Indian wrestling) from his father at a tender age, Arjan Singh Bhullar made history this year when he became the first Sikh-Indian Canadian to win the ONE Heavyweight World Title at the top-level (mixed martial arts) MMA Championship. He pounded the reigning champion heavyweight Brandon Vera at an event held in Singapore. Vera had reigned as champion since 2014.
Already a Commonwealth Games wrestling gold medallist, Bhullar, apart from winning multiple provincial and national titles, also represented Canada at the 2012 London Olympics. Bhullar eventually shifted to mixed martial arts after the Olympics. As expected, he was a champion, and won his first six professional bouts with several TKOs (knockouts). He stood on the podium with a heavyweight title in the Canadian regional promotion Battlefield Fight League, and remained undefeated six times.
Born and brought up in Canada, Bhullar’s first tryst with wrestling began with his father, who had been an avid wrestler back home in Punjab before he migrated to Canada. The father passed on the sport to his son, encouraging him to pursue it professionally. After his big wins, Bhullar caught the eye of the Asia-based MMA promotion ONE Championship. He was asked to play against Mauro Cerili in 2019, and Bhullar beat him easily. Due to the pandemic, the ONE Championship was cancelled in 2020. This year, when the tournament resumed, Bhullar beat Vera in a second-round technical knockout, becoming the first fighter of Indian descent to win the title.
Bhullar admits that he has worked hard to see this day, and that he’s living his dream. Said he, “My second-round technical knockout win against five-year champion Brandon Vera is the result of a lifetime of work and I feel amazing. I feel very fortunate and blessed to have reached this high pedestal in my life.”
A South Asian, Bhullar represented Canada at a number of World Championship events as a freestyle wrestler from 2007 to 2010, and then at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. He also represented Canada at the 2007 Pan American Games and the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Bhullar is a two-time winner of the freestyle NAIA Championship and did Canada proud by winning the freestyle CIS or Canadian Interuniversity Sport. At the Commonwealth Games in 2010, Bhullar made history by beating his hard-hitting Italian rival with his crisp wrestling skills. According to reports, Cerilli had swung Bhullar in the opening frame, but the Indo-Canadian did not lose hope and won with an arrow-like jab. Bhullar continued relentlessly to gain the gold.
After winning the ONE title, the Indo-Canadian community was excited to welcome him. Indoor events could not be held, so a drive-through congratulatory event was organised at the local gurdwara to make it possible for everyone to thank him for making the community proud without breaking the COVID-19 social distancing rules. “I picked up the sport from my dad, who started wrestling when he immigrated to Canada. And I learnt from him when I was still in my diapers.” On Father’s Day, Bhullar had posted videos of his early days learning wrestling. His father and family could be seen cheering him on.
Today, Bhullar is an icon of the community and proudly displays his Sikh religion. He does not hesitate to walk into arenas or up to a podium to receive a medal with his turban on his head.
Now married and with a toddler, Bhullar loves to spend time with his family and outdoors. “There’s a time to be a sher and there’s a time to enjoy peace,” he says.
Bhullar can now be seen on social media encouraging his community to get vaccinated, trying to highlight the importance of vaccination, as his fans wait for him to become the next undisputed champion of UFC. Way to go, Arjan!
(The author is a Canada-based freelance journalist.)
