I'll take his belt: Arjan Bhullar accepts Reinier de Ridder's challenge
Jun 24, 2021
Singapore, June 24 : Newly crowned ONE Heavyweight World Champion Arjan "Singh" Bhullar has taken time out of his busy schedule to respond to a recent challenge laid out by two-division ONE World Champion Reinier de Ridder, countering the proposal with one of his own.
"The Dutch Knight" called Bhullar out shortly after his world title-winning performance against "The Burmese Python" Aung La N Sang, which saw De Ridder add the ONE Light Heavyweight World Title to the middleweight strap.
Meanwhile, Bhullar is fresh off his victory over Filipino-American veteran Brandon "The Truth" Vera a couple of months ago, which earned the Indian star the ONE Championship 120.2-kilogram world title.
"I'm not Aung La N Sang. Let's get that straight right now," Bhullar told De Ridder in a recent video.
"You're not gonna run across that cage and shoot those garbage takedowns on me, keep me down with that garbage grappling, or close the distance with that garbage striking."
Bhullar added that he didn't think much of De Ridder as a fighter, and challenged the Dutch athlete instead to put his light heavyweight belt on the line.
"None of [his skills are] impressive to me, and he's not about to make a name off me," Bhullar added. "If anything, I'll go down [a division] and take his belt."
De Ridder is gunning for an incredible feat and aims to become the first simultaneous three-division world champion in mixed martial arts history.
Bhullar has said previously that he would be open to defending his belt against De Ridder, but that "The Dutch Knight" would have to win a few fights at heavyweight to earn a title shot.
De Ridder says he's game to offer Bhullar a chance at the light heavyweight strap in the meantime.
"I'm just happy the man found some confidence. Let's set it up," he noted in the replies on ONE's Instagram post.
