ONE Fight Night 8 Main Event Cancelled; Heavyweight Champ Sheds Light On Situation

ONE Fight Night 8 was originally set to feature the unification bout for the ONE heavyweight championship between lineal titleholder Arjan Bhullar and interim champion Anatoly Malykhin.

But according to ONE Championship, the heavyweight title contest will be rescheduled to a later date sometime this year due to "a shift in broadcaster commitments."

Bhullar and Malykhin were set to provide fans with an exciting matchup worthy of a show's headliner.

Malykhinclaimed the interim title after pulling off a stunning knockout of Kirill Grishenko at ONE: Bad Blood in February 2022.

While Malykhin was waiting on word on when he will face Bhullar for the undisputed plum, "Sladkiy" made his way to the Philippines to challenge Reinier de Ridder for the light heavyweight title in the main event of ONE Fight Night 5 10 months later.

De Ridder was on the receiving end of a brutal boxing showcase from Malykhin as he was knocked out late in the first round and was stretchered out of the venue.

As for Bhullar, ONE Championship fans have not seen him inside the cage since he shockingly claimed the heavyweight title off Brandon Vera in the main event of ONE: Dangal in May 2021 due to a cavalcade of issues including a contract dispute.

In the case of Bhullar vs. Malykhin, this latest setback to their unification bout would mark the second time it has happened since their first scheduled bout in September 2022 was bumped off due to an injury to the former.

Bhullar has since opened up on the matter and revealed how soon fans can see him back in the cage.

"Very, very frustrating. I'm sure for my opponent as well... We were so ready to get going, but it's partners that make fights happen. You need an opponent, you need the company to put it on, you have broadcast partners, all of that," Bhullar mentioned in a recent interview.

"The rescheduling should be right around the corner. They're working on that right now. I've been assured that it's not going to be six months or something like this... The second thing I've been told as well is that there's gonna be a backup fighter for the next date, so no matter what, there will be a fight."

Sources close to the matter have also privately confirmed to the International Business Times that there is a chance that Bhullar may possibly be stripped of the title after not having defended it in the cage since winning it.

Because of the changes, Rodtang Jitmuangnon's pursuit of the ONE flyweight kickboxing title held by Superlek Kiatmoo9 will now serve as the main event.

In turn, the new co-main event will now feature the unification bout between interim atomweight Muay Thai champ Janet Todd and lineal titleholder Allycia Hellen Rodrigues.