‘It Was A Really Good Fight’ – Buchecha Reviews Anatoly Malykhin’s Win Over Arjan Bhullar
Could Marcus Almeida be the undisputed heavyweight king’s first challenger if he beats ‘Reug Reug’ on August 4?
Marcus Buchecha Almeida watched ONE Friday Fights 22 this past month with great interest, as he wanted to see who was going to leave Lumpinee Boxing Stadium as the undisputed ONE Heavyweight World Champion.
Ultimately, Anatoly Malykhin decimated Arjan Singh Bhullar en route to a third-round TKO victory to officially become the one true king of the division.
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The match had been more than a year in the making, and Buchecha was among the millions of fans who were thrilled to finally watch the megafight unfold. Almeida – a 17-time BJJ World Champion – is among the top contenders in the heavyweight MMA division, so it isn’t surprising that he paid close attention to the unification bout.
In an interview with ONEFC.com, the 33-year-old said:
After so many postponements, the fight finally took place. And it was a really good fight. But the fight went as I had predicted.
Arjan hadn’t fought for a long time, and I think that interfered with his fight pace. Coming back after so long off and fighting for the belt against a champion who is very active was a huge disadvantage for Arjan. In the end, Anatoly won, as most expected.
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Following his TKO victory, Malykhin made it known that he intends to move down in weight and take Reinier de Ridder‘s ONE Middleweight World Title. This comes nearly seven months after Sladkiy knocked out the Dutchman and claimed his light heavyweight gold.
While Buchecha has nothing but praise for the Russian juggernaut, he expressed doubt about the two-division king’s ability to hit the designated weight limit.
The Brazilian said:
Anatoly now has two belts, in the light heavyweight division and the heavyweight division. He wants to fight for his third belt, now in the middleweight division. I think he can’t make that weight, so I don’t believe this fight against Reinier de Ridder will happen.
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Buchecha ‘100 Percent’ Focused On Reug Reug
Marcus Buchecha Almeida has been perfect since his transition to MMA in 2021. The 17-time BJJ World Champion has not fought beyond the first round through four bouts in ONE Championship, finishing everyone who has stood across from him in the Circle.
That includes his recent 64-second submission victory over Kirill Grishenko – the same man Malykhin defeated in two rounds to claim the ONE Interim Heavyweight World Title in February 2022.
As such, the Brazilian grappling legend’s name has been mentioned among potential challengers for the heavyweight crown. However, he must first get past Senegalese Wrestling Champion Reug Reug Oumar Kane at ONE Fight Night 13: Allazov vs. Grigorian on Prime Video, which broadcasts live in U.S. primetime on Friday, August 4.
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Reug Reug has been a menace in ONE’s heavyweight MMA division, using his massive physique, heavy hands, and wrestling expertise to win four of his five bouts in the world’s largest martial arts organization.
With such a dangerous opponent in front of him, Buchecha chooses not to be distracted by the hype surrounding a possible showdown with Malykhin. Instead, he is focused on the task at hand.
The Brazilian said:
My focus is 100 percent on ‘Reug Reug.’ My head is only in this fight. I’m training to fight ‘Reug Reug.’ In my career, I have always taken one step at a time. And my next step is the fight against ‘Reug Reug.’