‘Buchecha’ believes ‘Reug Reug’ will be in for a rude awakening against triple champ Anatoly Malykhin
Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida thinks 'Reug Reug' is in for a rude awakening when he steps into the main event spotlight for a scrap with reigning three-division king Anatoly Malykhin.
On Friday, November 8, Oumar Kane—better known by fight fans as 'Reug Reug'—will look to cash in on his first title opportunity when he challenges Malykhin for the ONE heavyweight MMA world championship.
Their highly anticipated clash will take place inside the iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, as ONE Champions presents a loaded ONE 169 card airing live and exclusively on Amazon Prime Video in the United States and Canada.
As one of the heavyweight division's top contenders, Almeida will undoubtedly have his eyes on Friday's heavyweight headliner. As for how he sees things playing out, 'Buchecha' suspects Kane will have a tough go against the Russian juggernaut.
"Anatoly is much better at striking and will have a big advantage in the stand-up fight," Almeida told the promotion during a recent interview. "When Reug Reug tries to take him down, he won't be able to do it due to Anatoly's high level of wrestling."
Marcus Almeida's last appearance inside the Circle ended in disappointment as he saw his undefeated streak snapped at the hands of—you guessed it—Oumar Kane.
More than a year later, 'Buchecha' is back and could climb right back into the contender's circle ONE 169. But to do so, he'll have to go through one of the hottest acts in the heavyweight division right now, Amir Aliakbari.
After starting his ONE run 0-2, including a loss to Anatoly Malykhin, the Iranian powerhouse has won his last four bouts, including highlight-reel knockouts against Mauro Cerilli, Brandon 'The Truth' Vera, and Dustin Joynson. Aliakbari also earned a big win over former ONE heavyweight MMA world titleholder Arjan Bhullar at ONE 166 in Qatar.
With a win over 'Buchecha' at ONE 169, there is no doubt that the former UWW Greco-Roman wrestling world champion will be next in line for a shot at 26 pounds of heavyweight gold.
Fans in the United States and Canada can watch ONE 169: Malykhin vs. ‘Reug Reug’ live on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, November 8 in U.S. primetime.