Buchecha says losing gave him the drive to win an unprecedented 13 world titles: "I'm the only person who did this"
Legendary Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitor and rising ONE Championship heavyweight MMA fighter Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida says he learned his biggest lessons in defeat.
Throughout a glorious career in 'the gentle art', Almeida has earned a reputation as one of the greatest of all time in BJJ. A winner of 13 world titles, 17 overall, including no-gi and ADCC, 'Buchecha' has established himself as a demigod in the world of grappling.
However, he didn't reach this lofty perch just by winning all the time. In fact, 'Buchecha' says he only got better as a competitor when he tasted defeat and learned from it.
Speaking on a special Q&A feature on the Renzo Gracie Dubai YouTube channel, Almeida talked about the importance of losing and how athletes can use setbacks to better themselves.
The American Top Team and Evolve MMA standout said:
'I can say that I'm the only person on the whole planet who did this -- I won 13 world titles. I am the most winning athlete in jiu-jitsu. So if I was scared of losing, if I was scared of setbacks, I never would have gotten that far."
BJJ is a combat discipline that is rooted in failing over and over again and then emerging as a better competitor. The heavyweight superstar has this down to a tee and is looking to take his mixed martial arts career to the next level after a recent setback.
'Buchecha' looks to bounce back from loss to Oumar 'Reug Reug' Kane
Marcus Almeida made the shocking transition from BJJ to MMA in September 2021. He won his first four fights in an exciting fashion.
Unfortunately, the 33-year-old American Top Team and Evolve MMA representative met his match just last August, when he was dominated and outpointed by Senegalese wrestling sensation Oumar 'Reug Reug' Kane.
After a lengthy break to decompress, 'Buchecha' has since expressed a desire to return to action and pick up from where he left off. This time, Almeida says he will be better than ever.
Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding his next fight.