Buchecha says ONE Championship’s submission grappling scene is ‘changing people’s lives’
- BJJ legend Marcus Almeida praises the Asian martial arts promotion for promoting lucrative matches
- ‘I think it’s a change of the game, the next step for grappling,’ says heavyweight MMA contender
Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida has given ONE Championship’s aggressive push into submission grappling his seal of approval.
The Asian martial arts promotion, which has historically focused on MMA, Muay Thai and kick-boxing bouts, has recently promoted several high-profile submission grappling matches and has plans for several more soon.
Buchecha, who is now focused on MMA but is considered one of the best submission grapplers in history, likes what he is seeing from Singapore-based ONE.
“I think ONE and [CEO Chatri Sityodtong] are doing a really amazing job with that,” the 31-year-old Brazilian told the Post.
“ONE Championship is the place to be. It’s making grappling great again.”
Buchecha (2-0) is currently one of the top contenders in ONE Championship’s heavyweight MMA division, and will look to take another big step toward a title shot when he battles fan favourite Senegalese wrestler “Reug Reug” Oumar Kane at ONE: Reloaded on April 22 in Singapore.
But after watching his fellow Brazilian Andre Galvao grapple two-division MMA champion Reinier de Ridder at the blockbuster ONE X card last month, he is considering returning to his submission grappling roots in the ONE Circle.
“I really liked it,” he said of the Galvao vs De Ridder bout. “It made me want to fight the grappling there too and test myself in this format of fighting. It was really interesting.
“Being in ONE Championship, fighting MMA and being able to fight grappling – something that I love, it’s what I did my whole life – at the same place, in the same cage, it’s something unbelievable. For me, it’s kind of like a dream come true.”
Buchecha also appreciates the way ONE Championship is paying submission grapplers, who are typically not compensated as well as athletes in other combat sports.
The Brazilian heavyweight pointed to the US $50,000 bonus atomweight grappler Danielle Kelly received after her draw with Mei Yamaguchi at ONE X as a promising sign for the sport’s future in ONE.
“What made me get tired of jiu jitsu is too much politics,” he added. “Too much drama. Everybody wants you to fight but nobody wants to make the effort. The organisations want you to fight for free pretty much. Nobody wants to pay the athletes. We are professionals, we are fighters. I kind of got tired of the organisations out there.”
“You see the girl Danielle Kelly?” he added. “She got US50k bonus. For jiu jitsu grappling girls, I think that was the biggest pay check that one of those girls got. Not even [ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship] champs get that much money. It’s good to see how they’re changing people’s lives.
“To be in the organisation, to watch all that, to me it’s amazing. I think it’s a change of the game, the next step for grappling.”
