One Championship: Arjan Bhullar beats Brandon Vera to become first Indian-origin fighter to win world title at top-level MMA event- India’s Arjan Bhullar defeated Brandon Vera at the Singapore-based One Championship to became the first Indian-origin fighter to win a world title in a top-level MMA event. With this win, Bhullar ended Vera’s five-year Championship run. Bhullar was at top of his game in the second round of the fight.
One Championship’s official Twitter handle posted a video with the caption, “Arjan Bhullar becomes the FIRST Indian Mixed Martial Arts World Champion, stopping Brandon Vera with second-round strikes! @TheOneASB #ONEDangal #WeAreONE #ONEChampionship.”
Arjan Bhullar 🇮🇳 becomes the FIRST Indian Mixed Martial Arts World Champion, stopping Brandon Vera with second-round strikes! @TheOneASB #ONEDangal #WeAreONE #ONEChampionship pic.twitter.com/e6gblkjshC
— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) May 15, 2021
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“It’s the first time in my entire career that I felt gassed in the first round. I am in shape, we’ve been training, we’ve been working with the best people in the world. This is new for me,” Vera said in the postmatch interview.
“I knew I was going to hurt him. I came into the fight the lightest I weighed in. I was ready to go 5 rounds. I wanted to put the pressure on him till he broke. Box him, pressure him, wrestle him. I did just that,” Bhullar said after the fight.
“I have reached the pinnacle of this sport. Now, I wanna attack the prowrestling industry. AWE, WWE, I’m coming for you guys next. Consider this a warning,” Bhullar said.
Your new ONE Heavyweight World Champion has a message for pro wrestling! 👑 @TheOneASB @AEW @AEWonTNT @WWE #ONEDangal #WeAreONE #ONEChampionship pic.twitter.com/zeUzivV9Lf
— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) May 15, 2021
“India, we got one now. Your first world champion. Let’s go. We were gonna box him up, get in and out range, wrestle him, pressure him, break him. That was the game plan. I knew I was gonna hurt him. My coaches knew it. I’m well trained, guys. I’ve been with the best since day one,” Bhullar said after the win.
As a freestyle wrestler, Bhullar has represented Canada at 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2011 World Championships, at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, at the 2007 Pan American Games and at the 2012 Summer Olympics. In folkstyle, Bhullar is a 2-time NAIA Champion and 1-time freestyle CIS Champion from Canada.