'It didn't happen by chance': B.C. Olympian fights his way into the UFC Octagon

Olympic wrestler Arjan Bhullar may not have won a medal at the 2012 London Games — but it never stopped him from chasing the gold.

Now a mixed martial artist, Bhullar was recently signed by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. On September 9th, he'll become the first Indo-Canadian to step inside the Octagon when he makes his UFC debut in Edmonton.

"The way I'm looking at it, I'm back in the Olympic tournament," he told CBC News from inside his gym. "I'm in the UFC — now I've got to work my way through the bracket and get to the championship, to the gold medal match that's eluded me so far."

Of course, there are no brackets or tournaments in the UFC (at least not anymore). Instead, he'll literally have to fight his way up the heavyweight rankings before he can contend for the world title.

He'll take on a four-time UFC veteran in 23-year-old Brazilian Luis Henrique.

The akhara

Bhullar began training under the guidance of his father, Avtar — a competitive wrestler in both traditional Indian-style wrestling and freestyle wrestling.

Alongside nine of his brothers and cousins, known as the Bhullar boys, he learned how to wrestle at the family's akhara — a traditional training facility built on the family farm in Richmond.

The walls are lined with the family's accomplishments, ranging from victory plaques to group photos to a pedestal holding a gada — a mace symbolizing the strength of his family, who immigrated to Canada from Northern India.

"[My grandfather] came here to sacrifice and to lay down the roots of our family for the future, for someone like myself," he said.

Olympic dreams

Bhullar excelled in freestyle wrestling growing up, representing Canada in tournaments across the world. After narrowly missing the Canadian Olympic team in 2008, he refocused and qualified for London 2012.

"[The goal] was to win a gold medal and to stand on top of that podium," said Bhullar, who lost to the eventual bronze medalist.

"That part was bittersweet for me, and that fire and that desire to be a world champion still burns hot in me."

Bhullar said he knew 2012 marked his last wrestling tournament, and decided to transition into mixed martial arts — a sport where elite-level wrestlers are often dominant. He began training with Vancouver-based trainer and former fighter Adam Ryan.

In 2014, Bhullar set himself a new goal: to get signed by the biggest fight promotion in the world within four years.

He did it in three.

Getting the call

Bhullar is undefeated in his six professional fights and uses his wrestling skills to control his opponents. When he got the call to fight under the UFC banner, he wasn't surprised.

"I wasn't jumping up and down going crazy — it was expected," he said. "It didn't happen by chance. We earned that call."

He'll become one of a handful of fighters to have competed both in the Olympics and the UFC — a list that includes superstar Ronda Rousey, and current UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier.

Bhullar will train alongside Cormier at the San Jose-based American Kickboxing Academy before he enters the cage in Edmonton.

It's all part of his new four-year development strategy — one that ends in title contention.

"It's very similar to the Olympic journey. We're going to have four to five fights, and we'll be in a position for that title fight."

But more important than becoming a champion is leaving a lasting legacy. He hopes to inspire people to pursue their own dreams.

"Champions come and go, accolades come and go. But your impact on people is your true legacy."

Follow Jon Hernandez on Twitter: @jonvhernandez