“It was difficult for me to get angry” - BJJ GOAT ‘Buchecha’ unleashes his anger on E in 2017 IBJJF Worlds
17-time BJJ world champion Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida is not known for getting emotional during his matches, but that’s exactly what happened in 2017 when he stepped on the mat at the IBJJF world championship.
Looking back on some of the more memorable moments of his submission grappling career, Almeida shared one of the few instances where he let his anger flow freely against multi-time champion Erberth Mesquita.
“It was hard for me to get mad during my fights, but when it happened people loved it 😂🤷🏻 ♂️
"Good fight in the semi final of the absolute world cup 2017, missing that scream. 😅"
‘Buchecha’ won the bout on points, shutting out Erberth, 2-0, in the process. Marcus Almeida ultimately went on to win the world title in the absolute division that year, defeating the late and great Leandro Lo in the tournament final.
Throughout his unprecedented career, Almeida won 138 matches, with 72 of them coming by way of submission. He is regarded by many as the most accomplished grappler in BJJ history.
‘Buchecha’ makes the move to MMA
After putting his competitive BJJ career to bed, Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida moved to mixed martial arts in September 2021, earning a first-round submission victory over Anderson ‘Braddock’ Silva at ONE: Revolution. He followed three quick wins against Kang Ji Won, Simon Carson, and Kirill Grishenko all in under a calendar year.
Facing his toughest test yet, Almeida went toe-to-toe with Senegalese standout Oumar ‘Reug Reug’ Kane at ONE Fight Night 13 in August 2023. Despite his best efforts, Almeida was unable to work Kane down to the canvas, ultimately leading to the first loss of his MMA career.
Despite the setback, ‘Buchecha’ is still one of the most exciting prospects in all of heavyweight, and his defeat will only catalyze his growth inside the Circle.