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Sikh UFC Fighter Arjan Bhullar Will Be First To Wear Turban During MMA Fight

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is known as a tough, sometimes brutal, sport. It’s two people in a cage going at it, using techniques from wrestling to Jui-Jitsu to martial arts.

Arjan Bhullar, an undefeated heavyweight champion in the UFC, is entering the cage again Saturday night at Gila River Arena in Glendale, and he’s taking the opportunity to make a statement about a little more than his quest for domination.

Bhullar is a Sikh. He grew up in Canada and, when he signed with the UFC in 2017, he became the first fighter of Indian descent to do so. Tomorrow night, he’ll become the first MMA fighter to wear a turban into the cage.

He’s doing it in collaboration with the national "We Are Sikh" campaign, which is working to educate people around the country about what Sikhism is all about.

Bhullar recently joined The Show with Gurwin Ahuja, co-founder of the National Sikh Campaign, to talk about the upcoming fight and what it means to wear a turban.

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Lauren Gilger, host of KJZZ's The Show, is an award-winning journalist whose work has impacted communities large and small, exposing injustices and giving a voice to the voiceless and marginalized.