Anatoly Malykhin expects ‘Buchecha’ to bounce back: “He just needs a little bit of a reboot”

Two-division ONE world champion Anatoly Malykhin believes we haven’t seen the last of Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida.

The 17-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion suffered the first defeat of his MMA career last weekend when he lost a lopsided decision to ‘Reug Reug’ Oumar Kane at ONE Fight Night 13.

Despite being the favorite entering the high-stakes heavyweight clash, ‘Buchecha’ was simply outclassed by the Senegalese powerhouse who left his face a bloody mess after three grueling rounds.

It was indeed one of the most shocking results from the action-packed card, considering most fans and pundits thought the Brazilian was primed for a world title shot against Malykhin.

Anatoly Malykhin, though, thinks this setback will only ignite a fire inside ‘Buchecha’ and he’ll become a much better fighter in the aftermath of this bitter defeat.

“So, now ‘Buchecha’ needs a little bit of a reboot. He's a very good fighter. He just needs to pick himself up, get back in the gym, and work hard,” Malykhin said in a ONE Championship interview.

Following a legendary career in BJJ, ‘Buchecha’ took the MMA world by storm with four straight wins all coming by way of first-round finishes.

The American Top Team product displayed well-rounded skills with his striking and wrestling, while his iconic BJJ arsenal translated to great effect in MMA.

Judging by ‘Buchecha’s shortcomings against the physical specimen known as ‘Reug Reug,’ however, it looks like he still has a lot to learn.

Still, Malykhin remains optimistic that the Brazilian will bounce back and their showdown will still take place in the near future. He added:

“I believe that one day our fight will pack a big stadium.”

ONE Fight Night 13 is available for replay free of charge for existing Prime Video members in North America.