‘Buchecha’ on why he prefers relying on grappling over striking: “It’s less risky”

17-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion and undefeated ONE Championship heavyweight mixed martial artist Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida won’t kid himself and pretend he’s one of the best strikers in the world. In fact, he is more than comfortable using his world-class grappling skills to get the job done in the circle.

‘Buchecha’ is considered one of, if not the best grapplers in the world. He’s certainly among the most accomplished, with several world titles to his name. For the 32-year-old from South Florida by way of Brazil, it makes sense to take advantage of those grappling skills to further his burgeoning MMA career.

In a recent guest appearance on the Jaxxon Podcast, Almeida talked about averting the risks of trading strikes with an opponent, while playing to his strengths.

‘Buchecha’ said:

“For me, why do I want to brawl against a heavyweight if I can do the pounding, use my hands for ground and pound on the floor? It’s less risky. Nowadays, everybody is paying more attention to grappling and wrestling because of this. Really safe.”

Catch the clip below:

Fans won’t have to wait long for another opportunity to watch ‘Buchecha’ show off his elite grappling skills again. Almeida’s next fight is scheduled in August, as he finds himself taking on mammoth Senegalese wrestling champion Oumar ‘Reug Reug’ Kane.

‘Buchecha’ and ‘Reug Reug’ do battle at ONE Fight Night 13: Allazov vs. Grigorian on Prime Video, which will be broadcast live from the conic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on Friday, August 4.

Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action absolutely free with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.