Buchecha ‘Wouldn’t Miss A Mikey Musumeci Fight,’ Envisions Return To Submission Grappling In ONE

Undefeated heavyweight MMA superstar Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida knows a thing or two about submission grappling.

With an incredible 17 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Championships to his name and three submission victories across four MMA bouts, Almeida is easily one of the most accomplished grapplers on the planet.

Even though the 33-year-old Brazilian is currently focused on winning ONE World Title gold in MMA, he continues to watch all the submission grappling action in ONE Championship and never misses a moment.

So when reigning ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Champion Mikey Musumeci defended his belt against Combat Sambo World Champion Gantumur Bayanduuren at ONE Fight Night 6 last month, “Buchecha” naturally tuned in.

That night, “Darth Rigatoni” dominated the Mongolian sambo stylist from start to finish. The American titleholder even twisted the challenger’s leg at a grotesque angle for minutes on end, but he was ultimately unable to secure the tap.

Musumeci’s superb technical prowess left an impression on Almeida, who said to ONEFC.com:

“I wouldn’t miss a Mikey Musumeci fight. 

“Mikey Musumeci showed why he is the champion and why no one has taken the belt away from him. He showed jiu-jitsu that was beautiful to watch and very technical. Even if the guy is tough and doesn’t give up, the opponent will need to have something more to beat Mikey.”

The heavyweight superstar also weighed in on Bayanduuren’s decision not to tap in the face of a serious injury to his leg.

And while “Buchecha” built his reputation as one of BJJ’s fiercest competitors with seemingly impenetrable submission defense, he admits that tapping out is a part of the game and he would have done just that if he were in Musumeci’s leg lock.

Almeida said:

“Gantumur is a tough guy. There are few guys who will feel a crack in their leg, see that the ligament has burst, and refuse to tap. He showed that he is a warrior.

“I would have tapped because the way it was set up, I didn’t see a situation to defend, so I would have tapped. I would like to run away from the position and the next day be training to improve. It’s not worth it not to tap because you’ll suffer an injury. You’ll have to have surgery and be out for months.”

Buchecha Dreams Of Openweight Submission Grappling Grand Prix

Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida hasn’t competed in submission grappling since 2019. Instead, he has put all of his attention into his surging MMA career.

But after watching ONE Championship’s submission grappling stars like Mikey Musumeci, Kade Ruotolo, and Danielle Kelly go to work inside the Circle, he’s inspired to return to the sport that made him a legend.

Almeida said:

“Every [submission grappling] fight I watch makes me more excited to one day fight in ONE’s submission grappling division.”

Specifically, “Buchecha” would love to compete in a hallmark of major BJJ competitions: the openweight tournament. 

After all, he’s no stranger to the openweight category. In fact, eight of the icon’s BJJ World Championships came in the uncapped weight class.

With the ONE Openweight Muay Thai World Grand Prix slated for later this year, Almeida would love to see the same for submission grappling inside the Circle.

“Buchecha” said:

“An openweight of submission grappling is something that makes a lot of sense. I’m a guy who’s always been into fighting at weight and openweight, and I’ve always liked the openweight concept, with the chance for champions from other divisions to face each other. The absolute champion is the best of the year.”