Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida has spoken out about suffering a loss in his UFC debut earlier this month, and he seems to be taking it in his stride. Making your UFC debut is a massive moment for any fighter but it was even more important for Almeida, who had been frustrated with ONE Championship before leaving them. He spent a little over 3 years fighting there and put together a 5-1 professional record with 5 first-round finishes, so there was a lot of hype around his UFC debut. Obviously is one of the most successful BJJ competitors in the history of the sport too, so his grappling pedigree also worked in his favor.
The UFC clearly recognised his potential and they booked him a fight against a ranked opponent, Martin Buday, immediately. It was a huge opportunity for Almeida to break into the rankings and start his run to the heavyweight title early, but he couldn’t capitalise on it. He lost a decision to Buday at UFC Abu Dhabi in a fight that was characterised by Almeida’s inability to get the fight to the ground, as he landed just 1 out of 11 takedowns. Now he’ll be going back to the drawing board in order to work on his MMA wrestling and striking, because he’s always going to be dangerous if he can keep the fight where he wants it.
Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida shared his statement on the loss in his UFC debut in a recent post to his official Instagram account (translated from the original Portuguese):
“My UFC debut didn’t go as I dreamed, but that’s part of the game. I made a lot of mistakes and paid the price with the loss. I know I have a lot to improve on, and unfortunately, I wasn’t able to perform at my best. All credit to my opponent for the victory. Congratulations, Martin Buday on the fight. It was a honor to share the cage with you. This wasn’t the first time I’ve lost, nor will it be the last. I’ve lost a lot in my career, and I’ve always used those defeats as lessons and learning experiences, and this time will be no different. Thank you to everyone who supported me, helped me get here, and to everyone who cheers me on. As the saying goes: “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger!” And I’m still alive here.”
