Buchecha breaks down Malykhin vs. Bhullar 

Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida is only be two fights into his professional MMA career. However, considering the kind of performances he's put on, it is clear that he is a class above some of the top heavyweight contenders in ONE Championship.

Prior to his second win at ONE, 'Buchecha' refused to include his name in the world title mix against heavyweight king Arjan Bhullar. However, one clear contender to Bhullar’s throne is Anatoly Malykhin, the Russian who called out ‘Buchecha’ following the Brazilian’s impressive submission against Kang Ji Won at ONE: Winter Warriors.

In an interview with ONE Championship, 'Buchecha' shared his thoughts on a potential clash between Malykhin and Bhullar:

“It’s really hard to pick one in this fight, but it would be a really good fight for sure."

The ONE heavyweight world title is something that Marcus Almeida has on his mind. ‘Buchecha’ hopes to take on Arjan Bhullar for the golden belt as soon as he can rack up more victories and experience in the Circle.

The 17-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion is fully aware of Bhullar and Malykhin's strengths. Almeida knows that the Russian's knockout power and equally good ground game could cause trouble for anyone in the division, while the Indian icon’s wrestling was the very tool that led him to the world title.

'Buchecha' understands he could cross paths with Malykhin even before he gets a match with Bhullar, and he had this to say about the undefeated Russian star:

“I think he’s a huge name of the organization. If I keep winning, eventually, we’re going to fight. Just like anyone who keeps a good winning streak, we’re going to fight each other sooner or later. So yeah, I hope that I keep winning and he will keep winning as well.”

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Buchecha admits fellow Brazilian stars’ success in the Circle keep him motivated

There are three Brazilian world champions in the promotion right now - bantamweight king Bibiano Fernandes, flyweight star Adriano Moraes, and young atomweight Muay Thai queen Allycia Hellen Rodrigues.

'Buchecha's ultimate goal in ONE is to achieve similar success to his peers. Their title-winning displays and determination to keep on reaching greater heights is something that keeps him extra motivated:

“I think it’s good to see my Brazilian mates doing good, getting belts. It keeps giving me extra motivation, so it’s always good to see that, for sure. 100 percent.”