The titanic heavyweight MMA tilt between Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida and Amir Aliakbari looks all set to produce fireworks at ONE 169.
A victory for either man inside the iconic Lumpinee Stadium this Friday, Nov. 8, will see them a massive step towards the ONE heavyweight MMA world title that will be contested in the main event when divisional king Anatoly Malykhin goes toe-to-toe alongside 'Reug Reug' Oumar Kane.
The multi-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion heads into this showdown on the back of a first defeat in MMA to 'Reug Reug'. However, with plenty of time to fix his game and work on the necessary upgrades, the American Top Team and Evolve MMA star is ready to get his career back on track.
On the opposite corner, the Iranian colossal is ready to unleash his greatness and rack up a fifth straight win to position himself as a leading contender to the throne. Amir Aliakbari has finished four of his last fights inside the distance, and all signs are pointing to another highlight-reel moment when he steps inside the hallowed ring in Bangkok, Thailand.
Before they throw down, Sportskeeda MMA's team of experts make their picks on this must-watch contest, which will be available to active Amazon Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada for free live in U.S. primetime.
Ted Razon: Amir Aliakbari via third-round TKO
Honestly, it’s really hard to root against ‘Buchecha’. However, given the terrifying form that Aliakbari has displayed as of late, I see the Iranian getting his hand raised on this one.
Both grapplers will likely cancel each other out early on and round one could become a striking battle. ‘Buchecha’ will have a slight speed advantage, but all it takes for Aliakbari is one clean hit to flip the script. Amir Aliakbari should also do a ton of damage from the clinch and impose his Greco-Roman wrestling as often as he can.
While ‘Buchecha’ is quite comfortable off his back, Aliakbari’s pressure and heavy ground and pound will cause a lot of problems. Plus, it could be another draining ordeal for 'Buchecha' to carry Aliakbari’s weight around, similar to his previous loss against 'Reug Reug'.
Aliakbari, though, has a lot more power than ‘Reug Reug’, and I see him pounding his way to victory in round three.
Mike Murillo: Amir Aliakbari via TKO
This battle of the big boys presents an interesting clash of styles. You have one end Amir Aliakbari with his crack wrestling skills and power, and on the other ‘Buchecha', a BJJ legend who is dangerous as a submission artist as they come. The being said, the outcome of this match is still very much open.
Just the same, I am going Aliakbari here to win by TKO for his ability to get things done both on stand-up and on the ground.
He has tremendous punching power that could pose instant problem to ‘Buchecha'. Taken to the ground, he may have his hands full against the Brazilian but still he is not entirely shabby in it and can be ruthless with his ground and pound once he maintains control.
Being the more active fighter of late between the two should also work to the advantage of the Iranian powerhouse, who has racked up four straight wins which all came by devastating fashion.
James De Rozario: Amir Aliakbari via third-round KO
It's hard to go against Amir Aliakbari given the form he's in. As such, I envision another crushing victory for the AAA Team affiliate here at ONE 169.
The Tehran native has showcased that he has all the elite skills to match up against anyone, anywhere. On the canvas, Aliakbari uses his huge figure and world-class grappling to deplete anyone who tries to hang with him. Meanwhile, on the feet, the heavyweight star throws combinations with that added devastating one-punch KO power.
Though his chin has been cracked in the past by Malykhin and Kang Ji Won, 'Buchecha' doesn't have the dynamite that the two possess to put the Iranian in any real danger on the feet. Besides, seeing how he struggled against 'Reug Reug' on the canvas, the BJJ legend will be in for a much more torrid time against Aliakbari.
With Aliakbari having all the advantages over 'Buchecha', I see the former having a field day in all departments until he secures the match-winning moment in the third stanza — potentially a right to the jaw – and make it five triumphs in succession.
Vince Richards: 'Buchecha' via second-round submission
This is a battle of two grappling schools— brutish wrestling and calculated Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida and Amir Aliakbari are two of the best of their disciplines and their showdown will be a grappling fan’s masterpiece.
I expect Aliakbari to utilize his overwhelming pressure to try to put ‘Buchecha’ on the defensive, but it’s a tactic the 17-time BJJ world champion has seen throughout his career.
If Aliakbari wants to take the win, he has to rely more on his boxing and stun Almeida on the feet. I, however, believe Almeida has what it takes to weather the storm Aliakbari brings and carefully secure a submission finish in the second round.
While Amir Aliakbari is a master wrestler, the ground will always be where ‘Buchecha’ unleashes his venom.