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17-time Brazilian jiu jitsu world champion and legend Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida is arguably the greatest to ever compete in the sport. So when he speaks and shares his tidbits of wisdom, it's best to listen.
If it were up to Almeida, he would have everyone pick up BJJ and learn how to grapple. Speaking in a special feature Q&A session on the Renzo Gracie Dubai YouTube channel, the 33-year-old superstar shared a message to anyone looking to train BJJ for the first time.
'Buchecha' said:
"You are about to start a journey that you're never going to forget. And if you keep going through the first days, you're going to fall in love."
Almeida knows all too well just how addicting BJJ can get. He began training as a youth growing up in Brazil and never looked back. Today, he is one of the most revered practitioners of 'The Gentle Art' in all of history.
After all, the American-based star is a 17-time BJJ world champion. Recently, however, he has transitioned to mixed martial arts and has quickly become one of the most dangerous heavyweight MMA fighters in the world.
Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida says losing is part of the game: "I'm also proud of my defeats"
33-year-old Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida knows that in martial arts, you don't really lose if you learn something.
The Brazilian legend transitioned to MMA in September 2021, going on a four-fight winning streak to begin his epic run through the ranks. Unfortunately, he ran into a roadblock when he met Senegalese wrestling sensation Oumar 'Reug Reug' Kane in August 2023.
'Reug Reug' defeated the Brazilian via unanimous decision, dominating the Brazilian star across three rounds to hand him his first career defeat.
Almeida says it was a great learning experience. He told Renzo Gracie Dubai:
"So I'm really proud of my victories, but I'm also proud of my defeats and my losses, because everything taught me, everything helped me get to where I am today. Without those setbacks, I never would be here today and I never would be the 'Buchecha' I am today."
