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At the ONE Championship and Amazon Prime Video joint press conference on July 20 in Los Angeles, 'Buchecha' was among several stars sitting on the panel taking questions.
When it was the Brazilian's turn to answer questions, the media wanted to know how he felt about being in the United States for the first time with the Singapore promotion.
The Brazilian legend had this to say:
“Yes, definitely, really different than everything that I've experienced in my career. But I'm enjoying it. I'm enjoying the ride. And it's been really fun. I'm training so hard. And I think that's the result of everything. So I'm really enjoying the time, enjoying everything that's happening in my life and in my career right now.”
Marcus Almeida, a 17-time jiu-jitsu world champion, is scheduled to fight in his second bout of the year against Belarusian fighter Kirill Grishenko at ONE on Prime Video 1: Moraes vs Johnson II.
In lieu of the partnership between the two organizations and scoring a spot on one of the biggest fight cards of the year, Almeida was asked if he believed the move to North America would help him build his brand as a jiu jitsu practitioner in the US.
The 32-year-old answered:
Yeah, actually, I've been living here for 12 years in America. So I think most people in Brazil, they have never seen me competing live, because most of the time, I'm fighting here in America. Now I'm fighting in Asia. So I feel really, like, blessed to have so many fans here. And, like, now Asia. So to be in this card, to be in this situation with Amazon Prime and everything, I think is going to be so, so good for everybody. And to be in all that for me, I just feel so blessed to have this opportunity. So, so happy right now.
Watch the full press conference in the video below:
Marcus Buchecha’s switch from jiu jitsu to MMA was the right call
Marcus Almeida must certainly feel like he made the right call switching career paths from jiu-jitsu to MMA. With ONE Championship and Amazon Prime Video’s historic partnership, the whole world is going to know 'Buchecha’s' name.
In his first MMA appearance, the matchmakers set the 32-year-old novice against a veteran heavyweight kickboxing striker named Anderson Silva back in 2021.
After two minutes of complete domination on the mat, Almeida tapped Silva out with a wild North-South Choke in round 1. The finish was a great indicator of his future in the sport.
Now, with big wins against Ji Won Kang and Simon Carson, 'Buchecha' is set to return to the circle on August 26 to face his biggest test yet in Kirill Grishenko at ONE on Prime Video 1 on August 26.
Rewatch the full fight below:
