Arjan Bhullar’s ONE Championship debut scrapped hours ahead of the event

Former UFC heavyweight Arjan Bhullar will have to wait a little while longer to make his ONE Championship debut after his fight was pulled from Friday’s card in Manila.

Bhullar took to Twitter to break the bad news after he revealed his opponent, former Cage Warriors heavyweight champion Mauro Cerilli, was diagnosed with a staph infection. ONE Championship officials also confirmed the news on Friday.

“Hey guys unfortunately my fight was cancelled,” Bhullar wrote. “My opponent has a staph infection and wasn’t able to get cleared in the medical check.

“I’m very disappointed not to be able to put on a show for all of my fans and loved ones. Was extremely well prepared for this fight and can’t thank my team enough for their sacrifices during preparations.”

Bhullar was making his first appearance in ONE Championship after signing with the promotion following a four-fight run with the UFC where he amassed a 3-1 record overall.

Once he hit free agency following the end of his previous contract with the UFC, Bhullar decided to see what he was worth on the open market before making the decision to join the ONE Championship roster.

Unfortunately for Bhullar, he will now have to wait until a later date to make his debut with the promotion following his fight being scrapped on Friday.

ONE: Dawn of Heroes will also feature two former UFC champions as Eddie Alvarez returns to action against Eduard Folayang while Demetrious Johnson takes on Tatsumitsu Wada.