Reigning ONE Heavyweight World Champion Brandon “The Truth” Vera knows that top contender Arjan “Singh” Bhullar has more than just world-class wrestling skills.
So when they clash for all the marbles in the main event of the previously recorded ONE: Dangal — which airs this Saturday, May 15 — it will not surprise Vera if Bhullar attempts to stand and trade with him instead of taking the match to the canvas.
“He’s a very, very well-rounded opponent, and most people only talk about his wrestling. They don’t talk about boxing or his head movement, which is crazy to me, so that’s why I’m talking about it,” Vera said.
“His boxing is ridiculous, man. He put his hands on Mauro Cerilli in their last outing. He has very good hands, very good head movement, and he doesn’t mind staying inside the pocket.
“As a heavyweight, that’s very abnormal. You don’t have many guys who will stay in the pocket at heavyweight because that’s where all the heavyweights get knocked out,” he continued.
Vera’s right to be wary of Bhullar, especially since the 34-year-old Indian-Canadian will be coming into this match very confident.
The former Olympian said he wanted to finish Vera, and he plans to make that happen wherever the two men tangle.
“The outcome of this fight will be a stoppage for me and with my arm raised,” Bhullar said.
“The stoppage will be standing up or on the ground, me pounding him out. It depends on the [path of] least resistance he shows, the way he will concede easily. But it will be my hands on his face and his body, and him conceding victory to my will.”
But while Vera respects Bhullar’s hands, he plans to make his foe pay for his mistake of thinking that he’s good enough to hang with a devastating striker.
“I’m a lot faster than him. And we talked about him working in the pocket? It shows your power,” Vera said. “His style in the pocket and mine are different. When we meet and he sees what mine is, we’ll find out if he wants to stay [there].
“My goal never changes. I make sure that I make a statement of who I am, why I’m the champion, and take that belt home with me every single time.”
Catch ONE: DANGAL on ONE Sports or ONE Sports+ at 6 p.m. Philippine Standard Time (PHT) on Saturday, May 15. It also airs simultaneously on the ONE Super App.
TV5 will have an encore presentation at 12 a.m. PHT on Sunday, May 16.
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