Marcus Almeida Out To Prove He’s Not A One-Trick Pony At ONE Fight Night 13

Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida has undoubtedly become one of the fastest-rising stars in ONE Championship’s since his promotional debut in 2021.

The Brazilian star has dispatched all four of his opponents in the opening round, putting himself firmly among the best in the ever-evolving heavyweight division.

But his upcoming clash with “Reug Reug” Oumar Kane at ONE Fight Night 13: Allazov vs. Grigorian on Saturday, 5th August, will likely be his biggest test yet.

“Buchecha” has utilized his legendary Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills against all comers, executing submissions like rear-naked chokes, north-south holds, and heel hooks to find victory.

However, he also has a TKO win on his slate, and in his upcoming fight, Almeida wants to continue showing he has more in his arsenal than just grappling moves.

“My weapon for this fight, as in all other fights, is that I like to get in the cage and show that I’m not just a jiu-jitsu fighter but an MMA fighter. So, I’ll be prepared for 15 minutes of fighting, if necessary,” he said.

“Of course, my specialty is jiu-jitsu. And if I can use it in the fight, which will always be my goal, great. But if that’s not possible, I won’t get frustrated. As I said, I’ll be prepared to fight the three rounds on my feet if necessary.”

Almeida and Kane were scheduled for battle on two prior occasions in 2021 and 2022, respectively, but both bouts suffered unexpected cancellations.

With ONE Fight Night 13 quickly approaching, “Buchecha,” along with many fans, hopes the third time will be the charm for the much-anticipated matchup.

And if his Senegalese foe is not available come fight night, Almeida promises he’ll be there to take on anyone the ONE fightmakers put in front of him.

“The fight was cancelled twice. I had the contract signed, but unfortunately, it ended up not happening. He was injured on the eve of the fight, so it was even a little difficult to find an opponent at the last minute,” he explained.

“That’s why he delayed my MMA debut. But I think that now the division has narrowed, and there isn’t much to go on. I believe that this time the fight will really happen. But if it doesn’t happen, I’ll be prepared to fight anyone.

“On the 4th of August, I will be ready, whether it’s ‘Reug Reug’ or another opponent. If something changes, I won’t be frustrated this time. The other times I got frustrated, but I learned some lessons from these opponent changes, and nothing will faze me. If it’s with ‘Reug Reug,’ great. If not, I’ll be prepared.”