Undoubtedly Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida is one of the greatest BJJ competitors ever. With a haul of gold medals in both Gi and Nogi and ADCC titles he is considered as one of the greatest ever.
However, last week the Brazilian made a shock announcement choosing to sign to the MMA promotion One. Effectively retiring from BJJ for the time being at least, he walks away with a record of 128-13 which again adds to his notoriety as an incredible heavy weight competitor.
His move echoes a number of BJJ legends who have also moved from the mats to the octagon over the years. The likes of Garry Tonon, Fabricio Werdum and Jacare Souza are to name a few who have successfully made the transition.
But the biggest comparison is probably to Roger Gracie who also went from BJJ to One and won the cruiser weight title. In terms of accolades and physique the pair are very similar, both with a passion for takedowns and brutal pressure passing.
Standing at 6’3 and still only 30 years old, Buchecha is arguably at the peak of his physical abilities so it’s exciting to think how successful he may be.
The deal is supposedly a multiyear contract meaning he may be doing more than one fight. This comes after talk of Buchecha training boxing on the side for the past couple of years. With this in mind he is both a scary and exciting prospect who will bring fear to those in his path.
