Former ONE heavyweight world champion Arjan Bhullar to battle Amir Aliakbari at ONE 166: Qatar

ONE Championship’s maiden on-ground event in Qatar will witness a clash of titans as Arjan Bhullar faces off against fellow contender Amir Aliakbari.

The heavyweight MMA encounter is penciled to take place at ONE 166: Qatar, emanating live from the Lusail Sports Arena in Doha on March 1.

Bhullar left a trail of destruction when he first arrived at ONE Championship in May 2019. His first victim was former ONE Heavyweight MMA World Title contender Mauro Cerilli, clinching a dominant unanimous decision win in his promotional debut.

This triumph paved the way for him to figure in a bout versus Brandon Vera for the ONE Heavyweight MMA World Championship in May 2021. In the matchup, “Singh” captured the gold-plated strap by way of second-round TKO.

However, Bhullar never had the chance to fully savor his reign due to injuries and other setbacks. This led ONE to crown an interim champion, with Anatoly Malykhin holding the fort for the division.

The two finally collided this past June, where Malykhin emerged victorious to unify the crown and become the undisputed ONE Heavyweight MMA World Champion.

Despite the heartbreaking loss, Bhullar vowed to regroup and come back stronger, setting the stage for a redemption arc at ONE 166.

Amir Aliakbari looks to sustain upward trajectory

Amir Aliakbari, on the other hand, is riding a wave of momentum after overcoming a challenging start in the world’s largest martial arts organization.

The Iranian powerhouse faced adversity with two initial losses in the promotion but has since rebounded with dominant performances.

Notably, Aliakbari secured TKO victories over Mauro Cerilli and Brandon Vera before submitting Dustin Joynson in his most recent outing.

A victory over former champion Arjan Bhullar could propel Aliakbari to a potential date with Anatoly Malykhin for the ONE Heavyweight MMA World Title.