Arjan Bhullar will start his climb back toward the top of ONE Championship’s heavyweight MMA division against Amir Aliakbari on Friday, Mar. 1, at ONE 166: Qatar.
As he anticipates his return to the spotlight, Bhullar is beaming with light. That’s because, in October 2023, he welcomed the birth of his third child – a boy named Heera.
“Becoming the father of a baby boy was an amazing feeling – the feeling of completeness, of being blessed. It really made our family whole with the two sisters that he has. Having a healthy child and having his sisters welcome him into this world was a special moment for my wife and me,” Bhullar told ONE.
“He is our diamond, and he really fits that name.”
With a brand new baby to fight for, “Singh” has even more motivation than before. His path back to the ONE heavyweight MMA world title he once owned is not just for him; it’s to provide for his children’s future.
“At first, as an athlete, you must always be selfish. When it’s just you, you’re living for yourself, that’s easy,” Bhullar stated.
“Once you have kids, life changes. Now, with three kids, my desires for them exceed anything that I want. It’s all about them. It’s really a different outlook and a different level of inspiration, meaning, and purpose to life.”
“When things get difficult, I think, ‘What would my kids think if they’d seen me in this moment right now?’ I must push through. I must stand with conviction.”
Competing at MMA’s highest level is a time consuming job, and Bhullar is grateful that his wife is there to help shoulder the load at home.
As such, he makes sure to gives back as much as he can to thank her for taking the reins during his fight preparation.
“Training camps are difficult. I have a great partner who really steps up when I’m in camp and allows me to focus on what I need to do and be out of town. But it’s challenging, obviously, between myself and the kids, not seeing each other. So outside of camp, I like to be as involved as possible,” the former heavyweight king said.
“A good parent is a parent that’s present, who’s there for everything, and I want to be the best parent I can be.”
His clash with Aliakbari will be a dogfight between two outstanding wrestlers with heavy hands, and the winner will unquestionably be close a shot at Anatoly Malykhin and the ONE Heavyweight MMA world title.
While Bhullar wants the gold around his waist again, he wants to shine for his children much more.
“It’s not about what I want. It’s about making a good life for them, making them proud, and leading by example. More than anything, I want to make sure that I can parent them the way I want to, but also if they look at my life, they can say their dad also walked the walk,” he said.
“That being said, I don’t want to limit them. I want them to be happy first and foremost. That’s most important. Beyond that, whatever they choose in life, I will always support them. My wishes and dreams don’t matter.”
“People have said they’ve got big shoes to fill, but they’re not wearing my shoes. They have their own shoes. They have their own lives.”
ONE 166 airs live on Friday, Mar. 1, from the Lusail Sports Arena in Qatar. The action begins at 7:30 a.m. EST/4:30 a.m. PST.