“I’m not afraid of him” - Kirill Grishenko unfazed ahead of clash with legendary Buchecha

Kirill Grishenko is unfazed by the prospect of going toe-to-toe with jiu jitsu legend Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida at ONE on Prime Video 1.

The Belarusian giant is no stranger to fighting tough opponents. His latest knockout loss over Russian powerhouse Anatoly Malykhin for the interim belt showcased his toughness.

Despite his loss, Grishenko is, so far, the only man to have survived into the second round with Malykhin inside the ONE circle. How he was able to land strikes while defending heavy shots from Malykhin is a testament to his training and preparation.

He would have a completely different fighter next in ‘Buchecha’. The Brazilian legend has won at every level in his grappling career and is now riding 3 straight wins in MMA with 2 submissions and the other by ground and pound. However, Grishenko remains unfazed.

In an exclusive interview, he told ONE:

“I don’t know if his [previous] opponents really got injured. At the end of the day, MMA is a tough sport and athletes often get injured during their fight camps in sparring. I’m not afraid of him – training camp is in full swing. I can’t wait to face him.”

Grishenko is a unique martial artist. He’s a decorated greco-roman wrestler, has a towering physique, and some fast hands. With a professional record of 5-1 overall and 2-1 with ONE, most would count him out against Buchecha. However, the 31 year-old star is as tough as they come and is here to stay.

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Heavyweight beast Kirill Grishenko shuts down undefeated Oumar ‘Reug Reug’ Kane

One of the biggest and most controversial wins in Kirill Grishenko’s career was against Oumar ‘Reug Reug’ Kane in 2021 at ONE on TNT 4.

Kane was on a 2 fight win streak, running through opponents with heavy knockouts. ‘Reug Reug’ looked slow compared to the underdog. Grishenko controlled the first round with some excellent clinch work.

As the bell rang to signal the end of the second round, the Belarusian beast threw a big punch that buckled Kane on the spot. Kane disputed the call, believing the punch came after the bell.

After multiple replays, the judges acceded to the knockout. Grishekno, the massive underdog on the card, handed the Senegalese wrestler his first loss while earning his fourth career win.