Marcus Buchecha in the ONE Championship cage (Photo: ONE Championship Disclosure)
UFC heavyweight (up to 120,2 kg) athletes will face a major challenge from now on. The organization signed a contract with the multiple world jiu-jitsu champion Marcus Buchecha for his squad of fighters and, if it depends on him, his division mates will have serious problems in grappling.
In an interview with 'MMA Junkie', Buchecha commented on his UFC debut against Martin BudayThe Brazilian acknowledged that his opponent is also a jiu-jitsu black belt, but assured that, regardless of who he faces, he will always focus on his specialty. According to him, the plan will be the same: to impose his jiu-jitsu and represent the gentle art in the octagon, making it clear that everyone already knows what his fighting style is.
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"I know Buday is a jiu-jitsu black belt, he knows grappling, so it won't be anything new. But, to be honest, not only with Buday, but with anyone I face, I'll always trust my jiu-jitsu. I'll always make my jiu-jitsu work. That's the plan. Everyone knows what I'm going to do. Everyone knows I carry the jiu-jitsu flag. I'm going there to represent jiu-jitsu," said the UFC's new heavyweight.
Even before his final ONE Championship fight, Buchecha had already decided not to renew his contract. During this period, he continued training intensely and completed a camp focused on the end of his contract, aiming to be ready as soon as he became free. As soon as his contract expired, he quickly signed with the UFC, sensing that a new and promising phase in his career was about to begin.
"Eight months ago, when I had my last fight (for ONE Championship), I already knew I didn't want to renew... I was training and preparing so that, if something happened, I would be ready as soon as I was free. I did a camp thinking about the end of my contract. Everything worked out. I signed with the UFC immediately and knew something good was about to happen, and it did," Buchecha said.
Marcus Buchecha debuts at UFC Abu Dhabi
At 35, Marcus Buchecha has a premiere date scheduled for July 26th, against Martin Buday currently ranked 14th in the heavyweight rankings (up to 120,2 kg), in an edition that will be held in Abu Dhabi.
New to the world of MMA, Buchecha has a record of five wins and one loss in his short career in the new sport. Known for his offensive style in jiu-jitsu, the American Top Team representative had all of his victories in the first round, with three different types of submissions applied and one via technical knockout.
Marcus Buchecha's career in jiu-jitsu
- Six IBJJF heavyweight world titles
- Six world titles in the IBJJF absolute category
- Two IBJJF No-Gi World Titles
- Two titles in ADCC
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