“Can’t wait for this year” - Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida motivated for potential 2023 return

ONE heavyweight marvel and 17-time BJJ world champion Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida is one of the most promising prospects in the heavyweight MMA ranks today. Going 4-0 with a 100% finishing rate in his freshman year as a cage fighter, the entire MMA world is eagerly awaiting the grappling icon's return this year.

In a recent video posted by 'Buchecha', the Brazilian jiu-jitsu legend put together a highlight reel of his best work inside the circle, accompanied by a few motivational words.

"The only thing that falls from the sky is rain, the rest is fight! Let's go. There's already more. Looking forward to this year."

The post continues:

“Haste is the enemy of victory. There is no room for the weak and the coward dies without trying! ""

With a heavyweight world title unification bout between Arjan Bhullar and Anatoly Malykhin happening soon, expect 'Buchecha' to be waiting in the wings for his title shot. The BJJ icon might want to see who he might face at the top very soon.

We just have to wait and see. So far, the Brazilian grappling specialist has been perfect in his MMA run so far, finishing all of his opponents in the first round.

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'Buchecha' believes ONE should do an openweight submission grappling tournament

As a 17-time BJJ world champion and ONE heavyweight star, Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida has quite an intriguing idea for the Asian martial arts organization. Being that ONE has become the home of martial arts around the world, showcasing MMA, kickboxing, Muay Thai and submission grappling, Almeida believes they should further push the latter sport to the next level.

In light of ONE's announcement of a massive openweight Muay Thai tournament, 'Buchecha' suggested that they do the same with submission grappling.

He told ONE:

"An openweight of submission grappling is something that makes a lot of sense. I’m a guy who’s always been into fighting at weight and openweight, and I’ve always liked the openweight concept, with the chance for champions from other divisions to face each other. The absolute champion is the best of the year."

The openweight or "Absolutes" concept is not new in the world of jiu-jitsu and competitive grappling. Major world tournaments like the IBJJF and ADCC World Championships have openweight categories where grapplers face each other regardless of weight class.

Since the creation of Brazilian jiu-jitsu was predicated on the idea that a smaller person can defeat a larger foe, the Absolutes division can prove who has the best, most effective technique.

If ONE Championship does this and then adds $1 million to the mix, it will definitely catch the attention of the entire grappling world. Moreover, it will further legitimize ONE as a major league in the sport today.