On Friday At ONE Championship: Revolution, Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida lived up to the lofty expectations in his much-anticipated MMA debut. One of the most accomplished jiu-jitsu players ever, Almeida made quick work of Anderson “Braddock” Silva, submitting him with a north-south choke in just under three minutes.
Considering that Silva is a kickboxer and striking specialist, Almeida wisely played to his strengths, bringing the fight to the mat in the opening seconds. From there, Almeida did exactly what was expected, as he immediately gained a dominant position and methodically worked toward the submission. At no point did Silva have anything to offer Almeida on the ground.
After landing some ground strikes, Almeida moved to north-south where he landed big knees to Silva’s head (knees to the head of a grounded opponent are permitted in ONE). Those knees seemed to facilitate the choke, which Silva briefly waived off, only to tap moments later.
The 31-year old Almeida is a staggering 13-time IBJJF world champion, as well as a two-time ADCC world champion. He has not competed in grappling since his loss to Gordon Ryan in the finals of absolute division of the 2019 ADCC Championships. With the win, Almeida should be immediately considered one of the best prospects in all of heavyweight MMA. He joins fellow jiu-jitsu specialist Garry Tonon in ONE Championship.
