Photo taken from ONE Championship

pride of india

Bhullar makes history, upsets Vera

Brent Christien P. Dy

SINGAPORE — Arjan “Singh” Bhullar decimated Brandon “The Truth” Vera to become the first Indian to claim the ONE World Heavyweight Championship at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, on May 15, 2021.

The Indian-Canadian bruiser ended Vera’s 1982-day of reign which had been undefeated since he became champion on December 11, 2015.

Singh put his Filipino-American foe on the ground after a wild takedown and punches on the head, winning via TKO securing the match after four minutes and 27 seconds of round two.

Bhullar expressed his excitement and joy as he was crowned the new champ. He also devoted the championship to his country India, calling it in his speech.

“It's amazing! India! We got one now! Your first world champion, baby!" He shouted.

He also gave a word of caution to the pro-wrestling companies All-Elite Wrestling (AEW) and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as he reached the peak of MMA sports.

“I have reached the pinnacle of this sport, now I want to attack the Pro Wrestling Industry,” he said.

“AEW, WWE, I’m coming for you guys, consider this as a warning shot,” he added.

In the first round of the match, Vera almost closed the match after giving some low kicks to the leg, catching the Indian off guard with a jab.

Before the round closed, Bhullar managed to pull a takedown on Vera while Vera on the other hand defended himself with a kimura lock.

In the second round, the 34-year-old blew his 43-year-old opponent with some overhands and a shot at the ribs.

The fight went down as Bhullar put his weight on Vera’s back while giving punches on the head.

On the other hand, after a year training in his camp in Florida, Vera is exhausted and felt his fatigue like never before after a disappointing loss and the end of his long reign.

“"This is the first time in my entire career that I've gassed," he said. "I'm disappointed. I don't know. We just keep training, we just keep grinding to get my belt back."

The match was a year-long wait as the pandemic greatly affected the schedule of the fighters.