“He’s not ready and he will get smoked” - Arjan Bhullar says Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida is too green for title shot

While reigning ONE heavyweight world champion ‘Singh’ Arjan Bhullar holds Brazilian jiu-jitsu legend-turned-MMA fighter Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida in high regard, the 35-year-old feels the Brazilian isn't ready to compete at the highest level.

'Buchecha' is currently scheduled to face South Korean knockout artist ‘Mighty Warrior’ Kang Ji Won at ONE: Winter Warriors, which broadcasts live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium this Friday, December 3.

Speaking to ONE Championship in a recent interview, Arjan Bhullar shared his thoughts on 'Buchecha', and his upcoming fight, particularly whether or not the Brazilian will be ready for a world title shot should he defeat Won.

“No! Is that a joke of a question? No fighters ever challenge for the world title after two fights. That is not about to happen, and if he wants to, that's fine and he will get smoked,” Arjan Bhullar said.

“He's a jiu-jitsu guy who's still learning how to adapt his game. For all the praise I'm heaping on him and the compliments of Kang, I'm not Kang, and we’re not in a gi and this isn’t jiu-jitsu where [we’re] not allowed to punch each other in the face. And I'm not going to stand there and allow him to take me down. None of that. He gets smoked all day.”

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Arjan Bhullar breaks down Buchecha vs. Kang Ji Won

While Arjan Bhullar is currently trying to get a fight made with his next challenger, Russia’s Anatoly Malykhin, ‘Singh’ will be watching the Buchecha-Kang fight intently.

“I think it's a great fight. Kang Ji Won is a fighter [who] I called out before. Great potential. Good athlete on his feet, great footwork, light, moves like a middleweight, a southpaw, and finds a way to win. Tough. And ‘Buchecha’, obviously a jiu-jitsu legend, [he] has shown [that] he can be a champion," Arjan Bhullar said.

“Can he make it in MMA? He looked great in his last fight and I think it's a phenomenal matchup between the two. Kang Ji Won has shown that he gets taken down though, so that's what he is going to have to avoid with a guy like ‘Buchecha’, who is still green and wouldn’t have the stand-up Kang Ji Won has. Kang has shown that he could move on his feet as well, so he is going to have to stay on his toes and evade the takedown to cut some angles there and keep this thing standing.”

When asked who he’s picking to win, Arjan Bhullar did not hesitate to give an answer.

“I'm going to say ‘Buchecha’. And why? Although he hasn't had as many fights, and although the fight starts standing in Kang’s favor and Kang has the footwork to move and evade his takedowns and such, I do think ‘Buchecha’ is a proven competitor and a proven winner, and he will find a way to get this thing to the ground. Kang has shown that he does get taken down and he's gotten mounted by guys that don't have the pedigree ‘Buchecha’ has, so I think that's going to be a problem for him. And I'm picking ‘Buchecha’," Arjan Bhullar concluded.