“It wasn’t anything too crazy” – ‘Buchecha’ says 'Reug Reug’s' size and heft wasn’t anything out of the ordinary

ONE heavyweight MMA star and 17-time jiu-jitsu world champion Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida recently appeared on MMA legend Rampage Jackson's Jaxxon Podcast on YouTube. The BJJ legend brushed on a few things, such as his career as a grappler and the immediate future of his MMA run in ONE Championship.

One interesting bit of the conversation was when 'Buchecha' spoke about his first loss in pro-MMA, dropping a unanimous decision nod to 'Reug Reug' Oumar Kane at ONE Fight Night 13 last year.

While he marginally succeeded in the grappling department, Almeida had difficulty warding off the powerful striking of his Senegalese mammoth of a foe. Despite the nail-biting back-and-forth brawl, 'Reug Reug' narrowly defeated the Brazilian grappling legend.

Speaking to Rampage Jackson, 'Buchecha' described what it was like to physically manhandle the hulking Senegalese warrior in the ring:

“He looks big but actually we are the same height and same weight. But he looks like he’s way bigger, you know. In terms of his strength and power, it wasn’t anything too crazy.”

Watch the full podcast here:

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'Buchecha' sees first pro-MMA loss as valuable experience in his career

Before losing to 'Reug Reug', Almeida was 4-0 with four straight finishes in the first round. All of his bouts were one-sided affairs that barely made him break a sweat. Fighting the Senegalese powerhouse icon gave 'Buchecha' his first real challenge in MMA.

Despite this, the Brazilian icon saw the loss as a vital part of his career, saying:

"In the first round I did like a bad shot and I got like a really bad ground and pound. I was just feeling weird but I couldn't think straight but I did the three rounds. I remember everything, it was like a tough fight but despite that I still took him down. There wasn't my plan to lose but it was a good experience for my career so I want to go there again and test it out again."

We're eager to see the new version of Almeida that will come out of this loss. Here's to hoping he gets inside the Circle soon. Stay tuned.