It’s been 15 months since grappling great Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida was handed the first defeat of his professional MMA career, and he’s ready to put it behind him this weekend at ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug.
The Brazilian star meets Amir Aliakbari this Saturday, November 9, inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium, in what is set to be a crucial matchup for the heavyweight MMA world title picture.
Almeida had finished all four of his ONE Championship outings in the first round before losing to “Reug Reug” Oumar Kane at ONE Fight Night 13 in August last year. The 14-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion may have come up short by unanimous decision against Kane, but he feels he has learned lessons he can implement this weekend.
“It’s been a little over a year since my last fight when I suffered my first defeat in MMA. Unfortunately, it’s part of being an athlete, and it isn’t the first or last time I lost a fight. I made some bad and hasty decisions during the fight, and I ended up having a very bad first round that cost me the fight,” Almeida detailed.
“Despite the defeat, a result I didn’t want, it was a good experience to fight the three rounds. And I tested myself a lot in several areas of fighting that I hadn’t tested myself before. But that’s it, let’s move on to the next one. I’m stoked, anxious, and can’t wait to fight again.”
While “Buchecha” is focused on overcoming Aliakbari at ONE 169, he’ll also be watching closely when three-weight ONE MMA world champion Anatoly Malykhin defends the heavyweight MMA crown against his old rival “Reug Reug” in the evening’s main event.
When it comes to predictions for that highly anticipated battle, he predicts Malykhin’s well-rounded skill set will give the challenger problems, allowing the Russian powerhouse to secure the finish.
“Anatoly is much better at striking and will have a big advantage in the stand-up fight. When Reug Reug tries to take him down, he won’t be able to do it due to Anatoly’s high level of wrestling,” Almeida analyzed.
“The fight will end up standing and Anatoly will have the advantage in the striking. I believe he will be able to knock Reug Reug out by the third round.”
