“I wanted to beat this guy” – ‘Buchecha’ reveals desire to get even after absorbing first loss of his career against ‘Reug Reug’

Brazilian heavyweight grappling legend turned mixed martial arts sensation Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida has addressed the aftermath following the events of his first loss in professional MMA competition last August 2023.

The 33-year-old American Top Team / Evolve MMA representative suffered a harrowing setback at the hands of Senegalese wrestling star Oumar ‘Reug Reug’ Kane at ONE Fight Night 13 on Prime Video in Bangkok, Thailand.

Then undefeated, ‘Buchecha’ stepped into the ONE Championship ring riding unbelievable momentum, and was no doubt the favorite to win the contest. However, ‘Reug Reug’ put together a fantastic performance, trumping the Brazilian legend to win via unanimous decision as regulation time expired.

Speaking candidly on the Jaxxon Podcast in a recent appearance, Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida detailed the emotions he felt after the loss.

The 33-year-old said:

“I didn't really have the experience of fighting, to sit in the corner to hear the coaches go like, ‘Okay, do that, do that.’ But in my last fight, I had that experience so I was okay with it. My mindset after the loss was that I wanted to get back there and I wanted to beat this guy. I want a rematch right away, you know what I mean?”

It remains to be seen when ‘Buchecha’ will make his grand return to the MMA circuits, but as fans, it can’t come soon enough.

---

Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida on losing to ‘Reug Reug’: “It was a good experience”

Losing is never part of the game plan, but Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida understands there’s always a silver lining. The 33-year-old said his defeat to Oumar ‘Reug Reug’ Kane has made him a better fighter.

Speaking on the Jaxxon Podcast, ‘Buchecha’ said:

“I have only five fights. I got four victories and one loss, the last one was the only time that I fought three rounds. So there was a lot to learn, but it was a good experience to fight three rounds because the other four fights I finished them in the first round.”