Buchecha Extends Unbeaten Streak, Aliakbari Gets In Win Column At ONE On Prime Video 1
A pair of exciting heavyweight MMA fights kicked off the ONE on Prime Video 1: Moraes vs. Johnson II main card with a bang.
The big men delivered back-to-back finishes to get things underway live in North American primetime television on Friday, August 26, and the division’s top dogs were put on notice by their commanding victories.
Here’s the rundown of all the action from the two heavyweight battles that took place inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
‘Buchecha’ Submits Kirill Grishenko In 64 Seconds
With his world-class wrestling credentials, Kirill Grishenko was expected to be Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida’s toughest test to date. But the 17-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion made quick work of yet another opponent to move to 4-0 inside the Circle.
Almeida showed a brief glimpse of his improved striking when he took the former ONE Interim Heavyweight World Title challenger off his feet with an early low kick, but neither man took a notable foothold in the stand-up exchanges in the opening minute.
Momentum quickly changed when “Buchecha” shot in for a takedown, however.
The BJJ icon rapidly switched to a leg entanglement when he realized he wasn’t going to gain top position and then latched on to an outside heel hook. “Buchecha” locked in with a vice-like grip as Grishenko tried to roll out, and he secured the tap after just 64 seconds of action.
Amir Aliakbari Gets Into Win Column
Greco-Roman Wrestling World Champion Amir Aliakbari knew he was in a must-win situation when he stepped into the Circle against Mauro Cerilli – and he fought like it.
The Iranian powerhouse returned to his roots in his heavyweight MMA showdown with the Italian behemoth, utilizing his grappling and striking to score his first victory in ONE Championship.
Aliakbari was the aggressor from the outset. He closed the distance and took Cerilli’s back before working in his ground-and-pound. Things only worsened for the Italian from there, as Aliakbari moved into the crucifix position and rained down blows until the round ended.
“The Hammer” did have his moments in the second round, however. He scored a clean right hook that sent Aliakbari’s mouthpiece flying, but the AAA Team standout cleverly avoided an all-out striking war by going for a single-leg takedown and bringing the fight to the ground.
From there, he unloaded his strikes before moving into another crucifix position. After some time, referee Herb Dean had no choice but to stop the match at the 4:02 mark of the second round.
With his mojo back, Aliakbari called out his previous tormentors in his post-fight interview, asking for Kang Ji Won and ONE Interim Heavyweight World Champion Anatoly Malykhin.
