Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida says his first-round submission of Amir Aliakbari was a collective effort with his teammates
Brazilian jiu-jitsu legend and top ONE Championship heavyweight MMA contender Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida knows when to give credit when it's due, and he says his victory over tough Iranian Amir Aliakbari last weekend wasn't just because of his own greatness.
'Buchecha' snapped Aliakbari's four-fight winning streak by submitting the Greco-Roman wrestling champion in the first round of their three-round heavyweight MMA tilt at ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug on Prime Video.
Almeida made quick work of his dangerous adversary by immediately going to his world-class grappling at the sound of the opening bell. He eventually locked in a rear-naked choke and forced the tap at the 3:15 minute mark of round one in front of a raucous Lumpinee Stadium crowd.
Speaking to veteran ONE Championship broadcast analyst Mitch 'The Dragon' Chilson in the ring after the fight, Almeida made sure to thank the people behind his performance, to whom he credits the win.
'Buchecha' said:
"I would like to say thank you to my corner. Not just the ones here, but also all my friends and coaches from American Top Team, all my friends and coaches at Phuket Fight Club, where I spent the last few days here in Thailand."
ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug on Prime Video went down live from the iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on Saturday, November 9. Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action via replay on-demand with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.
What's next for Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida after his victory over Amir Aliakbari at ONE 169 on Prime Video?
Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida announced his return to primetime in a very big way, with a scintillating submission victory over the streaking Amir Aliakbari at ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug on Prime Video last weekend.
Many believe 'Buchecha' may have just punched his ticket to a shot at the ONE heavyweight MMA world title, which is now currently held by Senegal's Oumar 'Reug Reug' Kane following the latter's shocking main event triumph over former champion Anatoly Malykhin.
Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida's next fight.