Marcus Almeida
Marcus Buchecha Focused on Clash Against Kang Ji Won at ONE: Winter Warriors
When one accomplishes every feat of success in their combat sports genre, it’s natural to have an inspiring interest to seek new challenges outside one’s “comfort zone.” Regarded as the most successful IBJJF Champion in jiu-jitsu history, Marcus “Buchecha ” Almedia made his much-anticipated debut on September 24 at One Championship: Revolution. Years of training and preparation, Almedia did not disappoint his grappling fans and peers. 2 minutes and 55 seconds is all it took for Almedia to make his mark, scoring an impressive first-round submission victory over Anderson “Braddock” Silva.
Buchecha described his victory as a long road of hard work and dedication, and looks forward to his new challenging journey in Mixed Martial arts. It has been three months since his debut, and Almedia is already eager to get back into the cage. While his debut was a success, the 13-time World Champion feels there is still much to learn in his new sports practice. His current training with MMA elites at American Top Team covers many training lessons that aid him in becoming a perfect Mixed Martial Arts fighter. Buchecha looks to display his growth in his upcoming fight on December 3.
Inspired to mirror his successful debut, Marcus Buchecha will be back in action at ONE: Winter Warriors against South Korean Knockout Artists Kang Ji Won. Coincidentally both competitors were supposed to battle early this year in April. This makes their inevitable confrontation a must-watch event.
Won is undefeated, with all five of his victories coming by way of knockout. Two of his knockout victories were against elite-level grapplers, including Amir Aliakbari. This impressive winning streak poses the question of how Buchecha will counteract his opponent’s brutal offensive game. Almedia is aware of the imposing threat he faces on December 3rd.
“I have to be really, really aware every second of the fight because he has knockout power, “Almedia proclaimed. “That makes any man really dangerous. And he’s an MMA fighter – he has a ground game and he has good wrestling. It’s not going to be an easy challenge for me. I know that.”
While it seems that Almedia is faced with a dangerous obstacle in his ascent in the Heavyweight division, the BJJ World champion is confident in his abilities and training to walk away with the victory.
“He’s fought against good wrestlers, and he’s fought against some tough guys. But they didn’t use so much jiu-jitsu. And, I don’t know, maybe we have to see there. I trust my jiu-jitsu more than his. That’s my biggest strength. But if I have to use my hands, I’m training a lot for that too. I don’t want to be one guy that has just one strength and just one weapon. So, I need to be able to fight in every scenario: wrestling, striking, and jiu-jitsu, of course.”
The anticipation intensifies for Marcus Buchecha’s second professional MMA fight. A victory over the undefeated Won will undoubtedly prove his debut was no fluke and could automatically place him as a top contender for a future title shot. Almedia is looking forward to the challenging journey and possible rewards that await him. But, for now, it’s all about the present, and that “present “is focusing on Kang Ji Won at ONE: Winter Warriors.
“I don’t like to think too much about the future. It sounds like a cliche, but my only focus is him. I think it makes no sense for me to think past him because, after this fight, I’m going to really know where this can put me in the heavyweight division. After that, I can think about the future. But right now, I’m just thinking about him.”
