A heavyweight clash of styles will go down at “ONE Fight Night 13: Allazov vs. Grigorian” on August 4, and it has all the makings of a classic.
Seventeen-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida (4-0) will lock horns with Senegalese wrestling sensation “Reug Reug” Oumar Kane (5-1) in mixed martial arts action at the blockbuster event, which airs live and free on Prime Video in North America.
The pair of behemoths come from opposite ends of the grappling world, and here’s a breakdown of what each will be relying on to score the crucial win when they come to blows.
1. ‘Buchecha’s’ legendary grappling
Almeida is widely regarded as one of the best to ever compete in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
The Brazilian has a wealth of world titles and an overall record of 138-14-1 in the sport.
His grappling skills have transferred seamlessly into mixed martial arts since his debut in 2021, and he has reeled off three submission victories across his 4-0 slate in ONE.
Needless to say, Almeida will be difficult to defeat if he gains control on the mats, and his ability to lock up a nasty submission in the blink of an eye could force a tap early on.
2. ‘Reug Reug’s’ unique wrestling
For his part, Kane will bring a special wrestling background to the ring at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
The 31-year-old is a veteran of hundreds of bouts in the art of “lutte avec frappe,” a form of grappling contested in a sandy arena with some strikes allowed.
“Reug Reug” compiled an undefeated record in some of Senegal’s most prestigious stadiums, and he will need to utilize every bit of his experience to snuff out Almeida’s attempts and gain a dominant position.
If he can use his defensive wrestling skills early on, Kane can either keep the fight standing to land heavy hands or take the fight to the floor and attempt to beat Almeida at his own game.
3. The first round is key
Both fighters like to get their work done early.
All four of Almeida’s MMA victories have come inside the first round, and he will no doubt be eyeing another short outing at ONE Fight Night 13.
Kane reeled off two blistering first-round knockout wins to start his ONE tenure in style. And while he went the distance in his most recent victory over Jasur Mirzamukhamedov, it wasn’t for lack of trying to finish the tough Uzbek early.
The opening stanza will be critical in this one, and whoever can impose their will the fastest will likely be the victor on August 4.
