Heavyweight contender Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida (4-0) isn’t getting carried away by thinking about a ONE world title shot just yet.
Instead, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu legend is focused on improving his record to 5-0 in the Singapore-based promotion when he faces Senegalese wrestling sensation “Reug Reug” Oumar Kane (5-1) live and free in North American primetime at “ONE Fight Night 13: Allazov vs. Grigorian” on Friday, August 4.
ONE’s heavyweight division is enjoying its best action in years thanks to the emergence of a swathe of contenders and the recent unification of the world title by Russian powerhouse Anatoly Malykhin, so a thoroughly dominant star like Almeida would be forgiven for thinking that he is a chance of fighting for the gold.
But for now, the hulking Brazilian, who has scored four first-round finishes in as many outings, is simply looking to gain more experience in his MMA career.
“A lot of people ask me about this (a world title shot). I really don’t think (about it), and I don’t care about it. I’m just an employee. I go there and do my job. When my manager and coaches think I’m ready, I’ll be ready,” he said.
“At the same time, I gain time in the cage. I gain experience, which, I think, is the most important thing. I don’t want to speed anything up. When my team says I’m ready, I’ll be ready. So, I will fight for the belt when the time is right. But I don’t go into any fight thinking about the next one.”
It’s hard to challenge “Buchecha’s” logic, given that he clearly knows how to win championships. After all, he has a staggering 17 Brazilian jiu-jitsu world titles to his name.
The 33-year-old insists he won’t fall into the trap of rushing into a world title opportunity. He wants to take it one fight at a time, and right now, all of his thoughts are centered on defeating the ultra-dangerous Kane.
“I see a lot of athletes saying that they are going to (win) one, then another, and then will compete for the belt. Then comes the fight and ends up losing,” Almeida said.
“I’m not like that. My focus is totally on ‘Reug Reug.’ After that, I think about the next fight.”
