“Impossible to say that MMA is an individual sport” - ‘Buchecha’ credits team for success in MMA career

For undefeated ONE heavyweight phenom and former 17-time BJJ world champion Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida, MMA was never an individual sport. Yes, only two people enter the cage, but to get there takes the effort of an entire group of individuals.

Just like the old saying, "It takes a village to raise a child", it takes an entire MMA team to create a warrior.

In a very insightful Instagram post by 'Buchecha', the Brazilian jiu-jitsu icon spoke about how grateful he is for his team. Translating his own words from Portuguese to English, Almeida said:

"'If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go with a group.' Teamwork, impossible to say that MMA is an individual sport, thank you very much to my coaches who were with me and to all the others who were watching from home and are part of it all! And to all my teammates too, thank you very much from the heart!"

The war fighters have to go through inside the circle pale in comparison to the hell they have to go through day in and day out inside the gym. They have to put themselves through a pressure cooker everyday in order to perfect their skills and elevate their athleticism.

This won't be possible, however, if you're doing it alone. No one gets better alone in this sport. Surrounding yourself with the right individuals to help you get better in the game is not just paramount, it's essential.

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'Buchecha' made short work of Kirill Grishenko and dedicated the win to fallen best friend Leandro Lo

The heavyweight MMA clash between former ONE interim world title challenger Kirill Grishenko and BJJ icon Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida was one of the highlights of ONE on Prime Video 1. This was largely due to how swiftly it ended and the emotional post-fight interview with 'Buchecha'.

Early on, the BJJ world champion surprised Grishenko with a lightning-quick leg-kick that put him on his backside. Almeida was definitely showcasing his newly-developed striking game.

However, just as Grishenko was starting to accept the stand-up battle, 'Buchecha' dove in for his signature double-leg but lost balance. He then expertly transitioned to an Ashi Garami leglock and finished the bout via heel-hook.

The BJJ phenom unsurprisingly won a nice $50K performance bonus and emotionally dedicated his win to his recently deceased best friend and jiu-jitsu legend Leandro Lo.

Watch his full fight here: