One of jiu-jitsu’s most successful competitors ever will be “hanging up the gi” and focusing on a career in MMA, according to reporter and UFC commentator Mohammed Al Hosani.
In an interview, Dominance MMA management’s Ali Abdelaziz told Al Hosani that Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida, who holds a Guinness World Record for winning the most world championship gold medals in jiu-jitsu, will be working on his MMA career for the “immediate future.” Buchecha is reportedly in talks with multiple promotions to determine the details of his first fight.
If you prefer seeing Buchecha in action on the mats, though, don’t despair — while this means we won’t be seeing Buchecha competing in the gi, at least for the time being, the news doesn’t mean that he won’t be competing in no-gi grappling events.
Buchecha will be in good company. Gilbert Burns, Vinny Magalhaes, Rodolfo Vieira, and Neiman Gracie — all notable BJJ-to-MMA crossover athletes — also work with Dominance MMA.
Should Buchecha make the big leap to MMA, it would hardly be a surprise. The jiu-jitsu legend has been hinting at a transition to mixed martial arts for years now and has been training in striking at RVCA in California.
The Jiu-Jitsu Times has reached out to Buchecha to confirm the news and will update this article upon receiving a response.
