“I've done it thousands of times” – Arjan Bhullar says his elite wrestling skills are ‘second nature’ to him

Former ONE heavyweight MMA world champion Arjan Bhullar won’t have a problem in using his Olympic wrestling skills if his fight with Amir Aliakbari hits the mat.

The Canadian-Indian superstar is en route to another thrilling heavyweight MMA clash this Friday March 1 at ONE 166: Qatar, to face fellow top contender Amir Aliakbari.

Some of the best heavyweight battles in mixed martial arts have been dominated by crazy knockouts. Arjan Bhullar has been able to dominate in that department. However, when it comes to this incredible matchup, it’s nearly impossible not to imagine a wrestling showdown between the two.

Despite not using his wrestling to finish fights compared to Aliakbari, Bhullar is confident that when the time comes, his body will react the way it’s supposed to. Speaking to Sportsmanor, he said:

“The body is very adaptable, you know...It can do amazing things if you let it and if you push it after repetitions and practice. When you see it under the bright lights, it's not the first time I'm doing it. I've done it thousands of times and the body's used to it and it's second nature by the time it's fight night.”

There has never been a time when Arjan Bhullar hasn’t used his ground game to his advantage. He utilizes the switch very effectively and he enjoys controlling opponents with devastating ground and pounds from top position, just like he did with former heavyweight MMA kingpin Brandon Vera in 2022.

With Aliakbari, who’s also a wrestling specialist, Bhullar will have a tougher time getting the finish on the ground. However, he’s not one to shy away from a challenge.

---

After world title loss to Anatoly Malykhin, Arjan Bhullar learned that nothing is definitive when you’re a champion

Surrendering his heavyweight MMA crown to Anatoly Malykhin was one of the toughest things Arjan Bhullar experienced in ONE Championship.

It took Bhullar two long years to recover from a series of injuries before meeting Malykhin inside the MMA ring. It was a long journey back, but the former champ needed to defend his world title - no one was going to wait another year for that to happen.

Whether he rushed his return or not, Bhullar was nevertheless gracious in defeat.

The biggest thing he took away from that experience is that nothing is definitive in MMA. At the end of the day, you’ll always win some and lose some. Reflecting on the loss, he wrote:

“I lost on that day to Malykhin, but you’re not a loser forever, and you’re not a winner forever. Every time you go out there, you must prove yourself.”

ONE 166: Qatar will air live on March 1 free of charge for existing Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada