Buchecha Stays Unbeaten In MMA With First-Round Submission Of Kang
Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida expected a difficult test against unbeaten knockout artist “Mighty Warrior” Kang Ji Won in his second career mixed martial arts contest. But for the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu wizard, it was just another day at the office.
The Sao Paulo-born fighter hardly broke a sweat while scoring another first-round submission victory. He ultimately forced Kang to tap via rear-naked choke in their heavyweight clash at ONE: WINTER WARRIORS on Friday, 3 December.
It was Kang’s first mixed martial arts defeat after six matches. Meanwhile, “Buchecha” stayed perfect in the all-encompassing sport and established himself as a contender for the ONE Heavyweight World Title.
The 17-time BJJ World Champion quickly took the center of the Circle at the Singapore Indoor Stadium and sized up his foe with front kicks.
On the other side, the South Korean waited patiently to unload the devastating right hand, which helped him win his five previous fights.
But just one minute into the opening round, “Buchecha” took that opportunity away. He countered one of Kang’s kicks with a quick double-leg takedown that he used to springboard into half-guard.
From there, the American Top Team and Evolve MMA representative softened up the Geoje-based combatant with big punches from the top position. To stop his opponent’s onslaught, Kang tried to utilize the Circle Wall as a means to get up.
The 26-year-old fighter out of Wang Ho almost succeeded in that attempt, getting back to his vertical base momentarily. However, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu GOAT took away any comeback hopes as he pulled Kang back down while jumping on his back.
Muscle memory then prevailed for “Buchecha” after establishing a position that helped him finish hundreds of previous BJJ challenges. The 31-year-old wrapped his legs around Kang’s waist while working to get his opponent’s neck.
The South Korean valiantly tried to fight out of the precarious position, there was simply nothing he could do once “Buchecha” got to his back. The rear-naked choke was too tight for Kang, who tapped at 2:27 of the first round.
With the win, “Buchecha” continued to impress in mixed martial arts and followed up his first-round submission of Anderson “Braddock” Silva in September.
In his post-fight interview, the Brazilian said he’d face any opponent that ONE puts in front of him – a warning shot to the entire heavyweight division.
Read more: ONE: WINTER WARRIORS – Live Results And Highlights For Every Fight
