At ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug, legendary BJJ competitor Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida will look to bounce back from his first mixed martial arts defeat when he takes on Iranian superstar Amir Aliakbari in a pivotal heavyweight MMA tilt.
That matchup will take place on November 8 in U.S. primetime as the Brazilian aims to prove he belongs among the division’s upper echelon – and possibly earn a crack at the ONE Heavyweight MMA World Title.
Before that clash of titans goes down at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, we look at “Buchecha’s” three most dangerous submission attacks.
#1 The Armbar
A 17-time BJJ World Champion who enjoyed an unmatched career on the mats before turning his attention to MMA, Almeida spent years establishing himself as one of the sport’s most talented submission artists – and his most frequent way of securing the tap was by armbar.
Like the rest of his grappling game, the key to “Buchecha’s” iconic armbar is its versatility.
He’s able to score the elbow-snapping submission from a wide variety of positions, whether he’s attacking from his back or the top.
With the added factors of sweat and ground strikes, scoring an armbar from the bottom position in MMA is exceedingly rare, but if there’s one athlete with the technical acumen to pull it off, it’s “Buchecha.”
While he’s yet to land this particular submission in MMA, a number of his biggest BJJ victories have come by way of armbar.
Notably, the 34-year-old boasts armbar wins over decorated BJJ World Champions Felipe Pena and Fellipe Andrew, both of which happened at the prestigious IBJJF World Championships.
#2 The Rear-Naked Choke
Almeida’s second-most common submission in his BJJ career was the rear-naked choke, which is a choke applied from the opponent’s back.
Unlike the armbar, he found immediate success with this technique in MMA, finishing South Korean knockout artist Kang Ji Won with a flawless rear-naked choke back in 2021 at ONE: WINTER WARRIORS.
For “Buchecha,” the rear-naked choke serves as a testament to his overall grappling prowess and ability to control dominant positions. To achieve the choke, he must first control his opponent, pass the guard, and secure the back – the most dominant position in both grappling and MMA.
When he battles the hulking Aliakbari at ONE 169, look for the Brazilian to follow this approach as he hunts for a fight-ending choke.
In addition to his highlight-reel finish of Kang in MMA, Almeida owns choke victories in BJJ against grappling luminaries such as BJJ World Champions Gilbert Burns, Bernardo Faria, and Mahamed Aly.
#3 The Heel Hook
Because he largely competed under rule sets in which they were prohibited, “Buchecha” landed few heel hooks over the course of his incredible BJJ career.
Still, the knee-destroying twisting leg lock remains one of his most dangerous weapons, particularly in an MMA context.
Almeida’s most significant MMA win to date came against former ONE Interim Heavyweight MMA World Title challenger Kirill Grishenko, and he needed just over one minute to dive onto a brutal heel hook in that fight.
Many MMA fighters – even at the highest levels of the sport – are lost when it comes to proper leg-lock defense, and “Buchecha” is more than happy to exploit that weakness.
Importantly, he can secure a heel hook from both top and bottom positions, making him an instant submission threat at any moment.
What’s more, one of the biggest wins of his BJJ career came by heel hook. In the final of the 2013 ADCC World Championships, “Buchecha” tapped accomplished black belt Joao Rocha with an expertly applied heel hook, claiming his first of two ADCC World Titles in the process.
