Bengaluru, May 15: Arjan Singh Bhullar, who beat Brandon Vera at the Singapore-based One Championship to become the first Indian-origin fighter to win a world title in a top-level Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotion event is a man who wears different hats.
As one of the top mixed martial artists in the world, the 35-year-old has always looked to use his career as a platform to inspire his people, transcending the boundaries of sports and looking to make a real change in society.
From winning a gold medal in wrestling in the 2010 Commonwealth Games to making a thunderous ONE debut, the 2016 Olympian is certainly an accomplished athlete and his position come with a lot of influence.
WE DID IT!🇮🇳
— Arjan Singh Bhullar (@TheOneASB) May 15, 2021
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If you got dreams, chase them down. Thanuwad sare a nu for support🙏🏾History made.
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.#andnew #DownGoesVera #KingOfTheDangal #ONEDangal #TeamBhullar #OneBillionStrong pic.twitter.com/BkoIG7qiHj
Bhullar made his ONE Championship debut last October in Tokyo, Japan, defeating top contender Mauro Cerilli via dominant unanimous decision.
The incredible performance over a former world title challenger catapulted Bhullar up the divisional ladder.
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
But despite his success on the global stage, Bhullar's profound love and respect for the country of his origin has remained intact.
One area of society Bhullar has focused to champion is the empowerment of Indian women, particularly in Jalandhar.
Arjan Singh Bhullar helps native village in Punjab fight off coronavirus outbreak
Bhullar recently built a facility where village women can socialise.
He provided sewing machines, cloth and various other materials for the purpose of producing face masks to help keep the village safe from the over-reaching tentacles of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
"I've been frequently visiting India since I was a child. I'm still very attached to my village and the people there. We've built a very special place within the village for the women to gather, as they, unlike men, have nowhere to go and spend time," Bhullar had said recently.
The victory in Singapore will surely give a huge facelift to this fighter's profile all over.