ONE Championship’s heavyweight title will be on the line on May 15, on a card expected to shine the spotlight on some of India’s best fighters.
During Wednesday’s ONE on TNT IV broadcast, the promotion announced its next event. ONE: Dangal will feature a heavyweight title fight in its main event, with champ Brandon Vera defending the title against Arjan Bhullar.
Additionally, Ritu Phogat, who will compete in the ONE atomweight grand prix at the end of May, will take Bi Nguyen, while Gurdarshan Mangat vs. Rosham Mainam will also feature.
On Wednesday, ONE officials confirmed to Cageside Press that the event will be taped in advance, which will give Indian wrestling standout Phogat the necessary recovery time to compete at ONE: Empower on May 28.
Vera (16-8, 1NC), a former UFC heavyweight, has held the ONE title since 2015, and defended it twice. Fighting sporadically over the past several years, “The Truth” was last seen at light heavyweight, in a failed 2019 attempt to win a second title against Aung La N Sang.
Bhullar (10-1) went 3-1 inside the octagon through his four UFC fights, leaving the promotion off two wins and signing as a free agent with ONE Championship. The Indo-Canadian heavyweight won his ONE debut against Mauro Cerilli, earning a unanimous decision. He has not fought since October 2019 (on the same card as Vera), however, prior to the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
