"I was never afraid to put myself to the test" - Buchecha reflects on his setbacks in BJJ and MMA

17-time Brazilian jiujitsu world champion and ONE Championship heavyweight MMA star Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida is one of the most successful combat athletes of all time. In the world of competitive grappling alone, he is considered to be the most decorated world champion ever.

All of his success on and off the mats and the ring isn't possible, however, without a healthy dose of failure. This is how the great champions rise to the occasion - to discover themselves as they try to overcome adversity and come back stronger.

In a very insightful Q&A session at Renzi Gracie Dubai on YouTube, 'Buchecha' reflected on the major setbacks of his career that made him who he is today:

"What you can't do whenever you lose is give up. So, for me, I never gave up. I lost a lot, I won a lot, but I was never afraid to put myself to the test."

If you're an athlete or a person striving for greatness in life, have these words framed and hung in your gym or office. Powerful words to live by from the lips of one of the greatest athletes to have ever lived.

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Buchecha had to overcome first setback of MMA career in most recent bout

Speaking of setbacks, Almeida was handed the first loss and first career setback in his budding MMA stint. Ever since transitioning from competitive grappling into MMA in 2022, the Brazilian behemoth has been utterly dominant inside the ONE Championship ring.

He finished four straight opponents in the first round during his freshman year as an MMA pro. It wasn't until he faced Senegalese wrestling star Oumar 'Reug Reug' Kane that 'Buchecha' was tested for the first time in MMA.

Despite getting nearly KO'd at certain moments of the fight, Almeida bit down on his mouthpiece and pushed forward. He had his own shining moments while at the same time fending off the deadly striking assault of 'Reug Reug'.

Ultimately, despite putting on a bloody, competitive fight, Almeida lost via a unanimous decision. We are eager to see what kind of monster comes out of this loss as 'Buchecha' has proven to be stronger after a loss time and time again.