ONE Heavyweight Champion Arjan Bhullar’s nearly two-year hiatus from fighting is over and he’ll return on March 25th.
News of Bhullar’s return was first reported by the South China Morning Post.
Bhullar will appear in the ONE cage for the first time since earning the heavyweight title over Brandon Vera in April 2021. After signing a new, multi-fight deal last year, he withdrew from a scheduled bout against Anatoly Malykhin last September.
Bhullar was at odds with ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong over the past few months, with Sityodtong threatening to strip him of the belt due to inactivity. After recovering from an arm injury he suffered in training, Bhullar came to terms with the promotion for a comeback fight.
Arjan Bhullar Set To Defend Title Against Anatoly Malykhin
Bhullar will face Malykhin just six months after they were originally supposed to fight. Malykhin won the interim belt in a second-round TKO victory over Kirill Grishenko last February.
Malykhin is unbeaten in his professional career, with nine of his 12 victories coming by finish. The 34-year-old made stops in GTC and Fight Nights Global before signing with ONE.
Bhullar is also a former UFC fighter, with victories over Luis Henrique, Marcelo Golm, and Juan Adams. He wasn’t re-signed by the promotion in free agency and opted to sign a deal with ONE instead.
The Bhullar/Malykhin winner will add stability to the heavyweight division, which has been fueled with uncertainty since Bhullar’s title win. ONE Fight Night 8 will face place in Singapore and additional fights are expected to be added to the card soon.
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