“He relies on his ground game too much” - Kirill Grishenko criticizes Buchecha’s fighting style

Kirill Grishenko is not concerned about Buchecha’s grappling-heavy game plan.

The Belarusian standout is set to fight 17-time BJJ legend Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida in a heavyweight bout in one of the most anticipated double-header events in ONE Championship.

The two will meet at ONE on Prime Video 1: Moraes vs. Johnson II, which broadcasts live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium and airs via US primetime on Prime Video on August 26.

With two wins and one loss, most recently to now-ONE interim heavyweight world champion Anatoly 'Sladkiy’ Malykhin at ONE: Bad Blood, Grishenko returns to the circle to meet his toughest opponent yet.

After a back-and-forth battle against Malykhin which lasted almost two rounds before he suffered a devastating knockout, Grishenko believes his matchup with Buchecha might not be as active.

Grishenko criticized Almeida’s reliance on his legendary grappling skills, and had this to say about Buchecha’s fighting style:

“I think he’s a high-level grappler, a living legend, who has achieved a lot [in BJJ]. If he can improve his striking, he has a chance to be a champion [in MMA]. Now, he relies on his ground game too much.”

Kirill is an experienced striker with a Greco-Roman wrestling background. He’s proven his durability and experience by going a full three rounds with Canadian veteran Dustin Joynson in 2021 and with a knockout victory over ‘Reug Reug’ Oumar Kane at ONE on TNT 4.

Using an arsenal of striking and leg kicks to wear down opponents, he’s a tough heavyweight to slow down. Grishenko, however, hasn’t fought a fighter as great as Buchecha on the ground, which can present itself as a problem.

Buchecha has beaten his last three opponents in spectacular fashion, all in the first round without as much as breaking a sweat. As soon as the Brazilian takes you down, it’s game-over.

Grishenko will need to stay on the outside and keep the BJJ legend at bay with his long reach if he is to prevent a takedown. Perhaps with time and experience on his side, the 6’4’’ fighter can score an upset with his well-rounded skill set.

However this pans out, each fighter will need to play to their own strengths in order to secure a win which makes for an intriguing matchup to watch.

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Kirill Grishenko trains peripheral vision in Jackie Chan style

Kirill Grishenko was seen conditioning his peripheral vision with the guidance of his boxing coaches at the M2G combat sports gym. He sparred with two training partners at the same time to help him anticipate strikes and to sharpen his reaction time.

The translated caption reads:

"We train concentration in @m2g.by 🔥 for @onechampionship ✊🏼 under the strict guidance of @coachboxing 👌🏼 in pairs.

Watch the footage below:

Anticipating Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida coming at him from all sides of the circle, Kirill Grishenko looks polished and ready to defend potential strikes and takedowns from the Brazilian legend.