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The all-important heavyweight MMA clash between BJJ legend Marcus Almeida and streaking contender Amir Aliakbari went down on Friday evening at ONE 169 inside the packed Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Almeida and Alikabari sought an opportunity to possibly be next in line for the coveted ONE heavyweight MMA world title, currently held by three-division MMA world champion Anatoly Malykhin.
See the blow-by-blow action from this thrilling fight between the two behemoths.
Round 1: A very cautious start between the two heavyweights, as the first significant strike landed and came in after almost a minute, with Aliakbari connecting a left punch to Almeida's body. Almeida timed a level change to secure the double-leg takedown.
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The Iranian powerhouse scrambled, but Buchecha's grappling was far superior, and he secured the top position from the mount. The Brazilian superstar then transitioned into a swift back take until he squeezed in a rear-naked choke finish in the opening round.
ONE 169 - Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida vs. Amir Aliakbari official result
BJJ icon Marcus Almeida returned to the winner's circle in MMA when he scored an impressive first-round submission victory against Amir Aliakbari in their all-important heavyweight contest and snapped his four-fight win streak.
'Buchecha' fully utilized his grappling superiority to secure an early takedown in the match and worked his way into a rear-naked submission in the very first round of the showdown.
The American Top Team and Evolve MMA representative only needed less than four minutes, as he ended the match at 1:45 of the opening round. To make the winner even sweeter, ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodotng awarded Almeida a $50,000 performance bonus.
This massive victory has likely put him in line for a shot at the ONE heavyweight MMA world title, which will be contested in the main event.
Marcus Almeida defeated Amir Aliakbari via first-round submission in their heavyweight MMA fight.
