Buchecha on Kade Ruotolo’s performance against Tommy Langaker: “It unfolded a little differently than I imagined”

17-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida is one of the fastest-rising heavyweight mixed martial arts stars in ONE Championship. But the 32-year-old legend admits he still follows the sport of submission grappling very closely.

One of the most recent matches he was able to watch was between ONE lightweight submission grappling world champion Kade Ruotolo and Norwegian former IBJJF champion Tommy Langaker at ONE Fight Night 11 last June.

Ruotolo took home a unanimous decision after time expired in a very close contest.

Speaking to ONE Championship in a recent interview, Almeida shared his thoughts on the matchup.

‘Buchecha’ said:

“Of course, I watched this fight between Kade Ruotolo and Tommy Langaker. It was a very tough fight, it unfolded a little differently than I imagined. Tommy Langaker has a very good guard, he has a very flexible and versatile guard. It's interesting to watch his fights.”

The 32-year-old said overall he enjoyed the fight, and continued his breakdown:

“At the beginning of the fight, he got a heel hook, but he defended very calmly and didn't flinch. Then he attacked a lot and put Tommy in a lot of danger. It ended up not having a submission in the fight, but it was a very busy fight. Lots of foot locks and heel hooks. And, definitely, in the decision Kade won. Despite not having a submission, it was a great fight!”

Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida will make his highly anticipated return to action against Senegalese wrestling sensation Oumar ‘Reug Reug’ Kane at ONE Fight Night 13: Allazov vs. Grigorian on Prime Video.

The event broadcasts live from the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on Friday, August 4th.

Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action, live and absolutely free, on Amazon Prime Video.