Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida says he feels comfortable fighting off his back

MMA fighters often work hard to avoid getting taken down, or worse, fighting off their backs -- but not Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida. The 17-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion and submission grappling legend says he’s just as comfortable with his back on the canvas as when he’s in dominant top position.

The legendary fighter and current undefeated ONE Championship heavyweight from Sao Paulo, Brazil talked about potentially facing wrestlers in future fights, and if he was scared of getting taken down.

In a recent interview with the South China Morning Post, Almeida took care of that argument and responded with confidence saying:

“So I don’t care about fighting wrestlers or to be taken down because I have a lot of jiu-jitsu with my back on the ground. Since I was a kid I have been doing this. So to be on my back on the mat, it’s not something terrible. I feel comfortable. Of course, if I can be on top I’ll take that too. So I feel ready for any situation.”

Of course, ONE Championship’s heavyweight division is full of very capable wrestlers, not the least of which are two who stand neck and neck at the very top of the heap -- reigning ONE heavyweight world champion Arjan ‘Singh’ Bhullar and interim heavyweight king Anatoly ‘Sladkiy’ Malykhin -- both potential future opponents for ‘Buchecha’ down the road.

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Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida still not sure if Arjan Bhullar and Anatoly Malykhin will ever fight

Although heavyweight world titleholders Arjan ‘Singh’ Bhullar and Anatoly ‘Sladkiy’ Malykhin have been on a collision course for over a year now, Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida still isn’t a hundred percent sold that their fight will ever materialize.

The two heavyweight kings are currently scheduled to square off at ONE Fight Night 8 in a highly anticipated heavyweight world title unification bout. However, this fight has been so cursed that it has undergone a series of cancelations and postponements over the past few months.

Many fans have become disenchanted by how hard this fight has been to put together, and you can count Almeida among them. In the same interview with SCMP MMA, the 33-year-old American Top Team standout says he is definitely not confident Bhullar and Malykhin ever touch gloves.

The 17-time BJJ world champion said:

“I don’t know. It has been postponed so many times. If I have to bet money, I wouldn’t bet money. But I hope it happens for sure.”

‘Buchecha’ currently has no fight scheduled at the moment, but is still hard at work in South Florida preparing for his first appearance in the Circle in 2023. Unbeaten at 4-0 since transitioning to mixed martial arts in 2021, the Brazilian dynamo is itching to return to action and is gunning for a world title shot in the coming months.