WATCH: Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida showcases steadily improving boxing skills

Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida posted a training video showing his boxing improvements.

When Buchecha signed with ONE Championship, everyone knew he was a problem for any heavyweight on the ground. The concerns for the 17x BJJ world champion came from the striking department.

Although his submission skills have been enough thus far, he is getting ready to fight the top-tier talent in the division, where his lack of striking experience could be an issue. The Brazilian posted an Instagram video working on his striking with the caption:

“Dia de boxe 💥🥊! ••• Boxing day! 💥🥊!”

Buchecha made his ONE debut in September 2021 against Anderson Silva. The BJJ legend secured a first-round submission and followed up his impressive performance with two more first-round finishes against Kang Ji Won and Simon Carson.

He was then matched up against former interim world title challenger Kirill Grishenko. The Brazilian secured his fourth first-round finish to solidify himself as a legitimate threat to the heavyweight throne.

Watch Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida work on his striking skills below:

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What’s next for Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida?

With an undefeated record in MMA competition, Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida is one of the top heavyweights in ONE Championship today. After defeating Kirill Grishenko, Buchecha could be one or two wins away from a world title shot. During an interview with ONE, the 17x BJJ world champion had this to say about his goals for 2023:

“All my focus is on MMA, and 2023 will be no different. I’m improving every day, and I want to get more victories. My ultimate goal is to become ONE heavyweight world champion, so I’m working really hard on that. I hope to achieve this goal in 2023… If I manage to maintain this good form and conquer some more good victories, then I think I will be worthy of challenging for the title."

So, what’s next for Buchecha? While there are several potential opponents for the Brazilian, Amir Aliakbari could be the perfect matchup. Aliakbari is coming off two consecutive wins, including one against former world champion Brandon Vera.

The Iranian heavyweight is also a Greco-Roman wrestling world champion, which would be intriguing stylistically against the BJJ legend. The two grappling specialists could determine who is the number one contender.