Unified 36’s KB “The Bengal” Bhullar: “I want to be remembered as a master of my craft”
Feb 18, 2019
EDMONTON — KB “The Bengal” Bhullar is establishing himself as one of Canada’s top prospects at 185 pounds. At Unified 36 on March 1, he tries to improve to 6-0 against his most battle-tested opponent, Derek Boyle, under the bright lights at River Cree Resort & Casino. Prior to that, the Edmonton-based middleweight spoke with Ed Kapp.
As someone who grew up here, is there a long history of fighting in Edmonton? Is this part of the culture here?
I think this is the fighting Mecca of Canada. It’s rooted here. There are a lot of great fighters who have come out of here. I’d say so. Growing up here, it was so abnormal. When I was in high school, people knew I did a sport, but when they’d ask, they didn’t know what MMA was. I think it had an underground following back then, but it’s becoming more and more popular.
Were there any local MMA fighters you looked up to in the early stages of your career?
Yeah, absolutely. When I started fighting, lot of the events I would go to were headlined by guys like Ryan Jimmo, Tim Hague, Luke Harris, who is my coach now. It was really cool to grow up in that era because I got to see the pioneers of Edmonton MMA start to make their marks. Stephen Beaumont is my favourite local fighter of all time.
Did you have any amateur fights or were you thrown into the fire of the professional game right away?
I had one amateur fight and I wanted to do more, but my coaches at the time were insistent on me going professional.
What was the rush?
I don’t know, they were adamant I had the skills, so why not go and make money doing this?
Was there any hesitation to take this fight with Derek Boyle?
No, there wasn’t any hesitation. I respect Derek a lot because he took the fight when a lot of other people said no. I know the kind of fighter he is – he’s a real game fighter. He’s got a lot of skills and he’s very versatile. So, no, I don’t think so.
Does anything change if you go 6-0?
No, nothing changes. It’s just an indication that my training is going well. The record is just an indication of the technique and the training.
How many times would you like to fight this year?
I like to be as active as I can. As long as the body is good to go, I’m good.
If you fight and win three more times, there’s a good chance you’ll be in the UFC this time, next year. What would that mean to you?
That would mean everything. That’s a testament to your technique and training. For me, right now, immediately, my first goal is to win a national title. It would be huge.
When your fighting days are behind you, how would you like to be remembered?
I want people to remember me as a master of my craft.
