Marcus ‘Buchecha’ says he’s always looking for things to improve on: “I never get comfortable even in my victories”
Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida talked about his desire to improve since his first professional MMA loss.
In August 2023, Almeida had an opportunity to extend his undefeated professional MMA record and potentially secure a heavyweight title shot. Unfortunately for him, 'Reug Reug' Oumar Kane had other plans, defeating the legendary Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitor by unanimous decision at ONE Fight Night 15.
Almeida's loss against 'Reug Reug' pushed his record to 4-1. On November 8, the 34-year-old Brazilian bounced back from his lone defeat with a first-round submission at ONE 169 against top heavyweight contender Amir Aliakbari.
Following his impressive performance, 'Buchecha' did a post-fight interview with the Bangkok Post and had this to say about improving since his first loss:
"Yeah for sure. I trained so much after my last fight. No matter I won or lost, I always go back to the gym and train my mistakes and the things I got right too. I never get comfortable even in my victories, so of course I wouldn’t get comfortable in my losses. So that’s what I did."
The replay of ONE 169: Malykhin vs Reug Reug, including Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida's first-round submission against Amir Aliakbari, is available on demand for Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.
Watch Almeida's entire post-fight interview with the Bangkok Post below:
Does Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida deserve a heavyweight MMA title shot?
Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida vs. Amir Aliakbari wasn't the only heavyweight MMA fight at ONE 169. In the main event, 'Reug Reug' Oumar Kane pulled off a surprising upset and dethroned Anatoly Malykhin of the world title with a split decision.
It's unclear if Malykhin will pursue an immediate rematch or focus on defending his other two world titles (middleweight and light heavyweight). Meanwhile, Almeida's first-round submission against Aliakbari puts him in a position to fight 'Reug Reug' for the heavyweight throne in an intriguing rematch.
It should be noted that Almeida's fight at ONE 169 was the last on his contract. Therefore, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu legend might re-sign with the promotion to pursue heavyweight gold against 'Reug Reug' or test the free agency market.