“It’s too much advantage for the opponent” - ‘Buchecha’ says wearing the gi in an MMA fight is not a good idea

ONE heavyweight MMA star and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu legend Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida recently sat down with MMA legend Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson in the Jaxxon Podcast. One of the more interesting bits of the episode was when the two discussed the use of the Jiu Jitsu Gi in MMA competition.

Though he has seen most of his success in competitive grappling while wearing the Gi, 'Buchecha' admits that wearing the combat kimono isn't the best idea when it comes to full contact cage fighting:

"No, no. no. You know, the Gi is too much advantage for the opponent... I don't think it gives advantages [to me]... I wouldn't try, like, use the grip. I would try like to use like, MMA style, you know."

It was mentioned in the conversation that the Gi was allowed to be used in the now-defunct Japanese MMA promotion PRIDE FC. One notable fight back then was BJJ legend and MMA icon Royce Gracie going against Japanese icon Kazushi Sakuraba.

In the bout, Gracie insisted on wearing his Gi, which ultimately backfired as Sakuraba used it to hold him down and punish him on the ground. 'Buchecha' is wise not to use the combat garb in MMA.

---

One of Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida's biggest wins in Jiu jitsu was in the IBJJF Worlds Gi Openweight finals

Speaking of the Gi, one of Almeida's biggest wins in competitive grappling was historic finals win over Erberth Santos at the Absolutes category of the 2016 IBJJF World Jiu-jitsu Championships. It was a nail-biting world title win that had the entire arena on its feet.

'Buchecha' posted about it on Instagram:

"It wasn’t just the celebration of another Absolute World title, it was much more than that, it was me banishing once and for all the ghosts of doubt that I would go back to being the same Buchecha I was before the surgery, it was the certainty that everything I went through it was worth it, it was me once again making history and not telling it! 2016 is the year of Return, certainly one of the most special titles of my career."

It's true that Almeida is most competitive and dangerous when competing in the Gi in Jiu Jitsu tournaments - though not the same can be said in MMA. Jiu Jitsu Gi matches, as seen in Almeida's Absolutes finals match, have its own flavor of excitement that is inherent to its ruleset. Same thing can be said about MMA.

Perhaps it is best to keep both sports separate.