BJJ legend Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida excited by the idea of grappling in ONE Championship

Brazilian jiu-jitsu legend Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida is concentrating on his mixed martial arts journey in ONE Championship at the moment, but he is not ruling out competing in submission grappling again one day.

One of the best fighters under the ONE heavyweight division, the 17-time BJJ world champion is happy to see grappling get a share of the spotlight in the promotion along with other combat sports.

Such a setup has stoked excitement in him of maybe going back and competing in the sport down the line.

Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more

'Buchecha' told ONE Championship:

“Every [submission grappling] fight I watch makes me more excited to one day fight in ONE’s submission grappling division.”

While he has not competed under submission grappling rules in ONE, the American Top Team fighter's BJJ background has been prominent in his MMA victories, which currently stand at four with zero defeats. His latest win was last August over Belarusian Kirill Grishenko by submission inside 65 seconds.

He is still awaiting word on his next fight but expressed his desire to compete for the heavyweight title in the immediate future.

'Buchecha' will be a keen observer of the unification bout between reigning ONE heavyweight world champion Arjan Bhullar and interim world champion Anatoly Malykhin on March 24 at ONE Fight Night 8 on Prime Video.

Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida only willing to return to grappling again if it’s against Gordon Ryan

If and when he decides to compete once again in submission grappling, Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida has one fighter in mind to battle, and that's decorated American grappler Gordon Ryan.

He made this known in an interview with SCMP MMA, saying:

“If we do get the opportunity to fight, it would be great to fight against him for sure. I think it would be the only fight that makes sense for me in terms of ‘Would you be willing to fight grappling again?’ Of course, I would, but the only name that would make me interested to fight would be against him for sure. Everybody else, not really.”

Watch the interview below:

‘Buchecha’ is currently focused on his mixed martial arts career under ONE and has worked his way up to becoming one of the top contenders in the heavyweight division. He hopes to vie for the world title in his division in the future.

Ryan, for his part, is widely recognized as one of the greatest no-gi grapplers of all time and boasts of a long list of accomplishments and conquests.

The two legendary fighters last met in the Absolute bracket of the ADCC World Championship in 2019.

About the author

Michael Murillo is a journalist who covers basketball and MMA at Sportskeeda with over two decades of experience. Michael has contributed as a proofreader, columnist and journalist for the Philippine broadsheet BusinessWorld.

A graduate of the University of the Philippines with a degree in English Studies, basketball caught Michael's imagination from an early age. Varsity basketball helped Michael to express himself, and later, it opened doors into the world of journalism.

Michael has a particular admiration for the Phoenix Suns, inspired by Kevin Durant. Icons like Magic Johnson and modern legends like Durant have left an indelible mark on Michael for their revolutionary impact on the game.

Michael relies on the tried and tested method of thorough research to ensure accuracy in his content. He has interviewed multiple NBA players and officials with BusinessWorld, alongside athletes from various disciplines.

Michael's hobbies include traveling, hitting the gym and watching movies, and he spends much of his downtime seeing his family.

Know More

Follow One Championship News, Schedule & Results at Sportskeeda.

Edited by Harvey Leonard