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ONE Championship is valiantly trying to change the world of submission grappling as we know it. Not only is the Asian organization giving high-profile jiu-jitsu athletes the pay that they deserve, they are also providing a platform for them to shine in front of the global stage.
ONE rightfully gives the same attention and prestige to grapplers as they would their MMA fighters and kickboxers. Simply put, the Singapore-based martial arts organization is trying to make submission grappling mainstream. This is long overdue as grappling bouts can be just as exciting as a slugfest between strikers.
Legendary jiu-jitsu master and current ONE heavyweight MMA fighter Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida has spoken highly of ONE's efforts to change the grappling landscape. Speaking to the South China Morning Post, 'Buchecha' had this to say:
"That's the best, I think, ONE Championship and [ONE CEO] Chatri [Sityodtong] is doing right now. They are doing a really amazing job with that. It's making the whole world see grapplers like kickboxers, Muay Thai fighters. People that sometimes didn't have the big stage to show their work and ONE Championship is giving them great opportunities."
Watch his full interview here:
'Buchecha' said it best. ONE is treating grappling specialists like the true prizefighters that they truly are. It's crazy to think that one of the most beloved MMA icons, Royce Gracie, is a jiu-jitsu master. And yet, the sport itself has not achieved the heights MMA has reached. At least not on a mainstream level.
It wasn't until ONE made a strong effort to bring it to a global audience that we're actively talking about pure grapplers again. Today, we look at ONE's growing roster of grappling assassins and name three of the most dangerous and entertaining to watch.
#3. ONE Championship's deadly grappling twins, the Ruotolo Brothers
You just need to watch one highlight video by the Ruotolo Brothers to become an instant fan of jiu-jitsu and submission grappling.
Jiu-jitsu's first-ever sibling child stars started training when they were just three years old and took the sport by storm by the time they turned 10. Read that again. It's absolutely crazy.
The two have been beating world-class BJJ blackbelts while they were just purple belts. Now that they're 19 and absolute assassins at black belt, both Kade and Tye Ruotolo have become a force to be reckoned with in the world of jiu-jitsu.
The Ruotolos are like super computers running at hyper-speed as they can calculate attack opportunities within split-second windows. It's dizzying to watch them work. They can run at an unbelievable pace but can sink in submissions before their opponents can catch up to what they're doing.
The famed and feared twins made the world aware of their dominance when they debuted in ONE Championship at ONE 157. Kade and Tye utterly wiped the floor with two respected icons grappling in Shinya Aoki and Garry Tonon. Look to see more of these young lions' grappling dominance inside the circle in the coming years.
#2. ONE Championship's jiu-jitsu geek, Mikey 'Darth Rigatoni' Musumeci
If you see Mikey Musumeci on the street in casual clothing, you'd probably think that he's some IT guy or a dude who reads more books in a week than you do in your life. Not that there's anything wrong with being a bookworm or a man working in the IT industry, but it would probably never occur to you that Musumeci is a world-class grappling genius.
This unassuming-looking lad is a jiu-jitsu black belt at the highest level, representing the modern iteration of the sport. Musumeci is an expert on the berimbolo and crab ride positions, bewildering his opponents with his weird and unorthodox attacks. The 26-year-old grappling nerd also made a name for himself in the lower weight classes of jiu-jitsu, utterly dominating anyone in his bracket.
'Darth Rigatoni' is the only fourth American to win a gold medal in the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) world championship at the black belt level. He was also the first North American to do so more than twice, achieving the feat four times.
In his ONE Championship debut, Musumeci steamrolled a grappling legend in Mazakazu Imanari. The young lion made the old-school grappling icon look like he didn't know what he was doing.
It's quite impressive and eye-opening to the fact that jiu-jitsu evolves so rapidly that it's getting harder and harder to catch up to the new techniques. Musumeci is ahead of the curb.
#1. Jiu-jitsu legend Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida
We've said this before and we'll keep saying it: there are world-class black belts, and then there's 'Buchecha'.
Considered to be the most accomplished jiu-jitsu competitor in history, Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida is a 17-time jiu-jitsu world champion who has beaten everyone there is to beat in the sport.
This absolute legend has 138 wins in submission grappling with 72 submissions under his belt. He got so iconic that people just called him by one name, 'Buchecha', like Madonna and Adele. Just hearing his name can send shivers down any grappler's spine.
Listing down all the achievements and notable wins Almeida had in submission grappling would take all day. After winning pretty much every major gold medal in jiu-jitsu, the BJJ icon brought his skills to MMA.
Currently signed to ONE Championship's heavyweight division, 'Buchecha' has run roughshod in his first three outings, compiling a three-fight winning streak that all ended in the first round. 'Buchecha' brought his signature blast double leg and otherworldly top pressure and passing game inside the ONE Championship circle and none so far have been able to handle it.
