“I was anxious” - Marcus ‘Buchecha’ credits amazing camp for helping him ease the nerves against Amir Aliakbari
Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida thanked his friends and coaches at American Top Team and Phuket Fight Club for his latest training camp.
On Nov. 8, Almeida extended his ONE Championship record to 5-1 with a first-round submission win against Amir Aliakbari. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu legend's recent performance was a massive statement following his lone defeat against 'Reug Reug' Oumar Kane last time out.
Speaking to the Bangkok Post after his win at ONE 169, 'Buchecha' thanked his teammates and coaches, saying:
"I’d like to say thank you to all my coaches back home in American Top Team, all my friends and coaches here at Phuket Fight Club where I spent the last part of my camp as well. So it’s been great. I feel blessed to have my friends, to have everybody I have with me. Last time I was really concerned, I was anxious."
Almeida's first-round submission against Aliakbari was one of several entertaining performances at ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug. The replay of the Nov. 8 event can be seen for free by North American and Canadian viewers with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.
Check out Almeida's entire post-fight interview with the Bangkok Post below:
Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida: Landscape of heavyweight MMA division following ONE 169
Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida has a decision to make, as the last fight on his contract took place at ONE 169. If he does re-sign with the promotion, Almeida would be a front-runner to receive the next heavyweight MMA title shot.
Meanwhile, the newly-crowned 'Reug Reug' Oumar Kane could face an immediate rematch next, as he narrowly defeated Anatoly Malykhin by split decision. Malykhin must decide if he wants to attempt to regain three-division world champion status or focus on his middleweight and light heavyweight titles.
Canadian heavyweight Ben Tynan might be one win away from a title shot. The 30-year-old has put the division on notice with consecutive finishes against Kang Ji Won and Duke Diddier.
As for other top contenders, former interim title challenger Kirill Grishenko shouldn't be overlooked. The 33-year-old had an impressive showing last time out, as he defeated Kang Ji Won by unanimous decision on July 5. He also has a win against the new heavyweight champ 'Reug Reug'.