Marcus "Buchecha" Almeida wants to ‘keep the momentum going’ after ONE 158 win

Bengaluru, June 13: Marcus "Bucheca" Almeida wants to keep the winning momentum going after ONE 158 victory, but the 17-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion does not want the title shot although he is eligible for one.

While Almeida is already an accomplished combat sport legend, he is still chasing more achievements, most recently in ONE Championship.

Bucheca announced his arrival in The Home of Martial Arts with an emphatic submission victory over compatriot Anderson Silva at ONE: Revolution last year and followed that up with another submission win against the gritty Kang Ji Won.

Most recently, he faced Simon Carson at ONE 158: Tawanchai vs. Larsen earlier this month on June 3 and was once again victorious.

"It was hard for me to find an opponent, but finally, we found one, and I hope to get back as soon as possible. I want to keep on track and keep the momentum going," the 32-year-old told ONEFC.com.

Despite the layoff, Almeida made sure that the fight with Carson didn't go the distance. But while grappling and submissions are his specialties, he ended the contest with a first-round TKO.

ONE 158 results and recap: Mangat edges Yodkaikaew, Tawanchai knocks out Larsen

Recounting the proceedings of that contest, the American Top Team and Evolve MMA representative said:

"It was back and forth [in the striking], but I saw the opportunity to take him down, so I did. He was defending well, but once I got into a good position, the mount, I felt like it was a good position to ground-and-pound, so I didn't waste any energy before."

Almeida is over the moon with his first mixed martial arts TKO. More importantly, he remains undefeated with a 100 percent finishing rate. Those performances built a strong case for "Buchecha" to have his shot at either ONE Heavyweight World Champion Arjan Bhullar or ONE Interim Heavyweight World Champion Anatoly Malykhin.

But for him, it's too early to consider a ONE World Title opportunity. Instead, he would like those two titans to unify the belt first. Until then, the Florida-based fighter will continue to work on becoming a more well-rounded combatant.

"It wasn't long ago [since my debut], right? But I can say I'm feeling confident in the cage. I'm learning the game, and every fighter becomes more comfortable. I'm not rushing anything. I'm taking my time to do everything," he said.

ONE Championship returns to action with ONE 159 on July 22. Two-division ONE World Champion Reinier de Ridder will defend the ONE Middleweight World Championship against Vitaly Bigdash.

Also, ONE Atomweight Kickboxing World Champion Janet Todd takes on WBC Muay Thai World Champion Lara Fernandez for the ONE Interim Women's Atomweight Muay Thai World Title.

Source: Media Release