Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu icon Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida has been flawless since switching to mixed martial arts, and his talents have been noticed by everyone, including ONE’s heavyweight kings.
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Ahead of the 17-time BJJ World Champion’s return at ONE 158: Tawanchai vs. Larsen this Friday, 3 June, both Anatoly “Sladkiy” Malykhin and Arjan “Singh” Bhullar believes the Brazilian martial artist has what it takes to shine on the global stage.
Reigning ONE Heavyweight World Champion Bhullar, who underwent a similar transition to his peer, believes the heavyweight upstart is at the right place to take his skill set to a new level.
“‘Buchecha’ is coming along. Even in jiu-jitsu, it was MMA-friendly jiu-jitsu where he liked his takedowns. He wasn’t a pulling guard type of guy. He’s a physical guy. So then coming into MMA, he’s hooked up with a good team with ATT,” the Indian star pointed out.
He, however, warned that the all-encompassing sport might provide the American Top Team and Evolve MMA star a couple of tough tests.
But should Almeida succeed, “Singh” admits it will only cement the former’s status as a clear contender to the throne in the near future.
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“This is MMA. He’s only a few fights in and unproven in my opinion. So, it remains to be seen [whether he’s the best grappler in the sport]. Let’s see if he’s able to duplicate that in the world of MMA,” the 36-year-old added.
“He’s a winner – he’s been winning for a long time – and a great athlete. That would definitely be a fight that interests me and gets me excited.”
Another heavyweight colossal who will have his eyes on “Buchecha” is none other than ONE Interim Heavyweight World Champion, Malykhin.
The interim champion is uncertain about Marcus Almeida but anticipates a future bout
The Russian slugger, who spots a perfect 11-0 resume, would love to throw it down against Almeida at some point, only if he continues his trajectory in the organization’s 120.2kg division.
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“We need to see him fighting a top-class grappler or wrestler. He has not faced anyone with good takedown defense. So far, his opponents have been mainly good strikers (Kang Ji Won and Anderson “Braddock” Silva),” the 34-year-old offered.
“I wish him to continue having a winning streak until he meets me in the ring. I will fight to unify the belts soon, so let’s see how soon ‘Buchecha’ and I can meet. You can send me the contract any time, I am ready.”
Should the Brazilian fighter amass his third win inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium at the expense of Australian martial artist Simon Carson, he will push himself as the clear contender for the gold.