My blood and my roots are still Punjabi: Arjan Singh Bhullar

New Delhi, June 21 (IANS) ONE Heavyweight World Champion Arjan Singh Bhullar on Wednesday shared the sacrifices his family made to provide him with opportunities, and how their struggles fuel his determination.

He also highlighted the pivotal role his father played as a wrestler and a role model, shaping both his athletic career and his values.

Speaking to Star Sports, Arjan Singh Bhullar spoke about his Indian roots and how important it is for him. "Doesn't matter where you go, your blood is still your blood. And my blood and my roots are still Punjabi. Even where I am, the food I eat is Punjabi, I even speak in Punjabi. And that's something you want to hang on to and keep."

"These feelings come from the struggle of my family, to be quite honest. They sacrificed for us to have a place in that country (Canada), to have a life for me, my siblings. And I've been told of those struggles of our community, and I value it, and because of that I value my culture, my heritage and my Punjabi blood."

He further spoke about how pivotal his father has been in his success and how he considers him as a role model both in the sport and in life. "He wrestled, he trained all over the world, and wherever he went I was with him. In the Akhada, when he was training, I was alongside him. Travelling for different matches, I was with him. So he was my idol, he used to never drink, never smoked, a true professional and a good father, good husband. All of the qualities of a champion. How to be a champion, how to live like a champion, within the sport and in life. So he was my first role model."

Speaking exclusively to Star Sports, ONE Heavyweight World Champion Arjan Singh Bhullar spoke on his training regimen and workout routine, and how important it is to have a proper mind-set in MMA, he said "I look for the best coaches, the best gym, and I put myself in an environment where I can push myself to the highest level. This is what it takes, and these people are already there and they will get me there. So, I started with that, and then you know, step by step, every fight I learnt more, in training I learnt a little more. I started with defence, you know you don't want to get hurt, so first is defence, then build up the offence and all the techniques therein."

He added "I know how to train, how to train hard, set goals, how to achieve them, how to be a professional, how to sleep on time, eat right, diet, how to win, how to lose, I already have all that from wrestling. So now I needed the techniques to get good at this sport."

Fans can watch Arjan Singh Bhullar vs Anatoly Malykhin, ONE Friday Fights 22, live on June 23, 7.30 PM IST onwards, live on the Star Sports Network and Disney+ Hotstar.