Heavyweight Champions Arjan Bhullar & Anatoly Malykhin Set To Settle the Bad Blood at ONE Fight Night 8

The hotly-anticipated ONE Heavyweight World Title unification bout between Arjan “Singh” Bhullar and Anatoly “Sladkiy” Malykhin is now set for ONE Fight Night 8 on Prime Video on March 24. After months of delay, the Indian divisional king will put his gold on the line versus the undefeated Russian slugger. Bhullar, a former Olympic wrestler, is 2-0 in the promotion after making his debut in October 2019.

That evening, “Singh” earned a victory over Italian MMA fighter Mauro “The Hammer” Cerilli to get his shot at then-ONE Heavyweight World Champion Brandon “The Truth” Vera.

Arjan Bhullar has a worthy opponent in Anatoly Malykhin

In the clash for gold, Bhullar demonstrated a perfect strategy to decimate the longtime World Title holder, thus becoming the first-ever Indian MMA World Champion. Following that victory, though, a contract dispute and a couple of injuries forced his return date to be postponed.

But with everything in the clear now, Bhullar’s return will bring much delight to MMA fans and his next opponent, Malykhin. The Russian has been vying for a chance to claim the ONE Heavyweight World Title following his insane debut against Alexandre Machado.

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“Sladkiy” followed that dream debut with another quick first-round knockout over Iranian hulk Amir Aliakbari. He returned to the Circle in an interim World Title matchup against Kirill Grishenko in February last year, putting the Belarusian to sleep in the second round to gain his first MMA World Title.

The Bhullar vs Malykhin bout is expected to be an enthraller

A World Title unification fight between “Singh” and “Sladkiy” was slated for seven months later at ONE 161, but a Bhullar injury forced his withdrawal and postponed the contest. Malykhin chose not to sit on the sidelines, however.

At ONE on Prime Video 5 in December, the Russian tank dropped down a division to finish Renier “The Dutch Knight” de Ridder to capture the ONE Light Heavyweight World Title in epic fashion.

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That victory pushed Malykhin’s overall record to 12-0 with 12 finishes and earned him ONE’s 2022 MMA Athlete of the Year award. The two colossal athletes are ready to settle the score following months of back-and-forth talk. Given the months of waiting and tension, fans can expect drama when they slug it out at ONE Fight Night 8 on Prime Video on March 24.