Brandon Vera wary of 'dangerous' Arjan Bhullar in ONE title defense

MANILA, Philippines — Brandon Vera is approaching his title defense against Arjan Bhullar with great caution, with the fight possibly his toughest challenge in ONE Championship so far.

Returning to the cage for the first time since October 2019, Vera will stake his heavyweight title — one of the only two remaining in Filipino fighters' hands.

Though Bhullar only has one fight in the Singapore promotion, Vera knows how powerful he is.

"As a fighter, I think Arjan is one of the top athletes that ONE Championship has. He's got a wrestling background, his boxing is amazing, he's got a dangerous overhand right... He's got a lot of gas in the tank. He's definitely a dangerous opponent," said Vera.

Despite Bhullar's skills, the American-born Vera says he knows just what to target when they lock horns in ONE: Dangal scheduled for broadcast on May 15.

"I think there are weaknesses in his game. Am I going to tell you them? No," quipped Vera.

"If you want to see his weaknesses, you just have to watch the event. See what I do," he added.

Vera last defended his belt against Mauro Cerilli in November 2018 -- coincidentally, Bhullar's debut fight in ONE Championship was also against Cerilli.

After having shifted his training camp from the Philippines to Sanford MMA in Florida, Vera is coming into the bout against Bhullar with renewed confidence.

"The most prominent thing that I have gained out of this training camp... [is that] I see everything right now," said Vera.

"I can see everything when I'm in front of somebody. That hasn't happened in a while, so I'm excited what I can see with Arjan," he added.

Vera's defense against Bhullar headlines ONE: Dangal, which features a host of Indian martial artists.

Other Indian athletes scheduled for action include atomweight phenom Ritu Phogat, Gurdarshan Mangat and Roshan Mainam.