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When ONE Championship signed Jiujitsu megastar Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida in 2020, the grappling world went into a frenzy. Considered the most accomplished submission grappler in history, 'Buchecha' has all the potential to become a force in MMA. He's already made a resounding statement in the ONE heavyweight division submitting Anderson "Braddock' Silva in less than one round:
In preparation for his MMA debut, 'Buchecha' aligned himself with world-famous MMA gym American Kickboxing Academy. Under the guidance of former UFC champions Daniel 'DC' Cormier and Cain Velasquez, the grappling phenom decimated his opponent from the opening bell. Silva was unable to land any significant strikes before being submitted in a vicious manner.
Following his dominant MMA debut, 'Buchecha' is out to prove that he's one of the best grapplers in MMA today Come December 3, the submission savant will look to continue his quest in ONE: Winter Warriors.
The 13-time Jiujitsu world champion is set to face undefeated knockout artist in 'Mighty Warrior' Kang Ji Won. The South Korean behemoth has finished all five of his opponents via first-round knockout – including Iranian wrestlers Mehdi Barghi and Amir Aliakbari. He showed resilience on the ground against grappling specialists and managed to come out on top with a KO win. Watch this video to see Kang's toughness and grit against a known ONE Championship grappler:
ONE Championship: Winter Warriors will showcase 'Buchecha' in his sophomore effort
After dominating the Jiujitsu mats for nearly a decade, there are questions surrounding Almeida's ability to efficiently utilize his grappling genius in the ONE Championship MMA cage. While he made a promising debut, Buchecha is not cutting any corners on his way to the top. On ONE Championship: Winter Warriors, the talented Brazilian will have a tough test in front of him. Kang is not going to be a walk in the park. A quick look at his resume of knockouts over grapplers speaks for itself.
MMA is a wildly different sport from submission grappling and we've seen many grappling world champions get mauled in the cage. Just look at Buchecha's Jiutjitsu rival, 5-time ADCC world champion Rodolfo 'The Black Belt Hunter' Vieira. The grappling world's jaw dropped when the Jiujitsu world champion was submitted by the purple belt Anthony Hernandez.
An MMA fight will definitely pose a lot more threats and nuances than a straight grappling match. Vieira relied heavily on his grappling but didn't account for the fatigue punches and kicks can bring. Because of this, he paid the ultimate price and got submitted for the first time in over a decade.
With his second bout in ONE Championship, 'Buchecha' would do well to learn from his rival's mistakes. He must treat MMA as a whole new sport and respect the subtle intricacies of the game. He already has a great gym with numerous world champions to guide him. Even ONE Championship heavyweight champion, Arjan Bhullar, expressed interest in facing the BJJ world champion in the cage at some point. 'Buchecha' just needs to get into the ONE Championship Circle more and prove that he's a force to be reckoned with before he gets a crack at the gold.
