"I believe in Odie's victory" - 'Buchecha' on Odie Delaney vs. Mehdi Barghi at ONE 158 

‘Buchecha’ Marcus Almeida may be in a fight of his own, but he’s also supporting fellow heavyweight Odie Delaney at ONE 158 on Friday, June 3.

Delaney will battle Mehdi Barghi on the lead card of the event and is one of three heavyweight MMA matchups on the night. ‘The Witness’ will look to improve on his amazing debut performance, which saw him submit Thomas Narmo in just 66 seconds - the fastest in ONE Championship history.

Meanwhile, Barghi is an Iranian national wrestling champion who has transitioned well into MMA. He currently owns four wins in his professional MMA career, with two coming by way of TKO and the others via submission.

He used these tools effectively early on in his debut against Kang Ji Won, but the South Korean ultimately found a way to battle back and claim a first-round TKO victory.

For his part, Delaney hones his skills at American Top Team, where ‘Buchecha’ was able to work with him. Almeida had a first-hand look at just how good Delaney is, and the Brazilian has no doubt about the outcome of his match with Barghi.

Almeida told ONE:

“I think it's going to be a great fight! Two very high-level wrestlers, but I believe in Odie's victory. He's a guy I've trained with and I know his wrestling level. So, I believe he will be able to impose his game and come out with the victory.”

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‘Buchecha’ takes on Simon Carson at ONE 158

‘Buchecha’ Marcus Almeida’s work with Odie Delaney likely also helped him prepare for his own match at ONE 158, where he'll take on Simon Carson.

Carson trains and coaches at Absolute MMA in Australia, and owns a professional MMA record of 2-1. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt claimed both his victories via TKO, and could present an interesting challenge for Almeida.

Almeida is a legend in BJJ and only started his ascent in the MMA ranks last year. He is off to a promising start, choking out dangerous strikers in Anderson Silva and Kang Ji Won.

He has been eager to get back in the circle, but uncontrollable circumstances have led to multiple delays.