ARJAN Bhullar, 34, who became the first person of Indian origin to become One Championship Mixed Martial Arts Champion when he defeated five-year heavyweight champion Brandon Vera with a second-round technical knockout, will be honoured at a drive-thru event at a Richmond gurdwara this Saturday.
The event takes place at India Cultural Centre of Canada Gurdwara Nanak Niwas (8600 #5 Road) on Saturday, May 22 from 1 to 4 p.m.
The gurdwara management said: “Arjan’s well-wishers are invited to congratulate him from their cars and then move on. The public is invited to enter the gurdwara through its south gate (from the Steveston Highway side). Arjan will be displaying his belt and waving to his well-wishers from a location just outside the main entrance to the gurdwara. The driver (s) can congratulate him from their cars. As soon as Arjan has acknowledged/thanked them they should move on and exit on to the # 5 Road northbound towards Blundell. Just before exiting, each car driver will receive Arjan’s souvenir gift from one of the volunteers.
The management said that no gatherings will be allowed inside or outside the gurdwara premises. The management requested everybody to obey the health regulations and be respectful of their own safety and well-being as well as those of the others.
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
Athletic Highlights (from Bhullar’s website):
* University World Championships Bronze Medalist
* 2 time NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) Champion (SFU Wrestling)
* 2008 SFU Athlete of the Year
* Only wrestler in history to win both NAIA and CIS (Canadian Interuniversity Sport) National Championships (SFU Wrestling). Also named Best Wrestler of the tournament.
* 2008 Canadian Olympic Trials Champion
* 2009 Canadian Wrestler of the Year
* 2010 Commonwealth Games Champion. (Only Gold Medalist on Team Canada)
* 2011 Sport BC University Athlete of the Year
* 2012 Olympian. (First wrestler of Indian heritage to represent Canada at the Olympic Games in Freestyle Wrestling)
Arjan, who was born in Vancouver, had an early introduction to wrestling, beginning at age 5. His dad, Avtar S. Bhullar, a well-known wrestler from India, built him his own private gym on his 15-acre Richmond farm to train him.
He has been junior national champion twice, besides winning the junior Pan American championship and being B.C. champion three times.
In 2005, at the age of 18, he won the gold medal in the heavyweight category at the Canadian Junior National Championships in Regina.
In 2006, he got the Premier’s Award for Excellence in Sports. He also won the bronze medal at the World University Championships in Mongolia.
In 2005, he received a full scholarship from SFU where he’d actually been practicing wrestling for four years.
