One Championship
One Championship, Asia’s biggest MMA promotion, now has amongst its fighters the biggest winner in the history of the IBJJF World Championships. Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida, who had been flirting with MMA for years, has now made it official: he will enter the cage professionally.
The news came as Buchecha announced on social media that he had signed a contract with the manager Ali Abdelaziz, who handles the career of Khabib Nurmagomedov, Gilbert Durinho, Neiman Gracie and others. After reaching an agreement with the manager, Chatri Sityodtong, the CEO of One Championship, also took to social media, announcing the addition of Buchecha to the organization’s roster of talent.
One Championship, the UFC’s biggest competitor in Asia, had Roger Gracie as a champion at one point and had Renzo Gracie fighting rather recently. It also has active contracts with Eddie Alvarez, Demetrius Johnson and Vitor Belfort — all former UFC champions.
Buchecha is currently preparing to fight at a BJJBET event in September against Fabrício Werdum. With a focus on sharpening his wrestling, Buchecha has been training at American Kickboxing Academy (AKA), an MMA team that is home to Daniel Cormier, Khabib and Luke Rockhold.
