BJJ legend ‘Buchecha’ sees clinical duel against Iranian wrestler Amir Aliakbari in “clash of styles” at ONE 169 showdown

Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida believes his impending clash against Amir Aliakbari will showcase two of mixed martial arts' most fundamental grappling disciplines. The 17-time BJJ world champion will face Aliakbari in a heavyweight MMA matchup at the stacked ONE 169 card on Nov. 8, US primetime, at the historic Lumpinee Stadium.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Almeida said his matchup against Aliakbari will be a duel of the grappling disciplines that shaped the current structure of MMA.

Almeida is considered one of the greatest BJJ artists of all time while Aliakbari is a suffocating Greco-Roman wrestler and was the gold medal winner in the 96-kilogram division of the 2010 World Wrestling Championships.

'Buchecha' said:

"I think it will be a good fight, especially for the fans. It will be a duel between wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu, so I think this clash of styles is something interesting."

Almeida and Aliakbari have translated their grappling bases to MMA, with the two hulking heavyweights putting themselves as possible contenders for the ONE heavyweight MMA world title.

Aliakbari, despite being a natural wrestler, has relied more on his punching power to carve out a four-fight winning streak that includes three straight knockout wins. Almeida, meanwhile, became an instant fan-favorite with his sublime BJJ displays with four straight finishes in his first four fights in the promotion.

The heavyweight clash between Almeida and Aliakbari, and the entire ONE 169 card, are available live and free to all Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.

---

Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida says he learned several lessons from his loss to Oumar 'Reug Reug' Kane

Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida was on his way to a possible shot at gold when his winning streak came to an abrupt end against Oumar 'Reug Reug' Kane.

The two heavyweights figured in a frenetic MMA matchup at ONE Fight Night 13, which saw 'Reug Reug' claim the unanimous decision win after three heart-stopping rounds.

In the same interview with ONE Championship, Almeida said he learned from his mistakes against Kane and plans to use those lessons in his matchup against Amir Aliakbari in Bangkok.

"I fought three rounds, which had never happened before in my career. So, 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."