A new force is set to debut in the UFC’s heavyweight division on July 26 in Abu Dhabi.
The promotion’s return to the Etihad Arena on Saturday night sees Robert Whittaker face Reinier de Ridder in a middleweight main event.
While de Ridder may have advised other fighters to not sign with ONE Championship since departing the promotion, he was one of their top stars during his reign as a two-weight titleholder.
However, ‘The Dutch Knight’ isn’t the only former ONE star who is one of the sport’s top submission specialists who will be in action this weekend.
Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida is considered to be MMA’s best heavyweight grappler having already achieved incredible success before changing the direction of his career.
Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida avenged his losses to Rodolfo Vieira with a dominant run of wins
Before Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida made the decision to pursue a career in MMA, he had already established himself as one of the greatest jiu-jitsu competitors of all time.
The Brazilian needed a new challenge after already achieving so much in the grappling world as an IBJJF Hall of Famer.
During his career, Almeida competed multiple times against another highly-credentialed jiu-jitsu specialist who is also on the UFC roster.
Rodolfo Vieira has gone 5-3 inside the Octagon, with ‘The Black Belt Hunter’ having 17 gold medals to his name in grappling.
Almeida and Vieira have competed against each other eight times during their grappling careers, where ‘Buchecha’ got the better of his opponent on five occasions.
After losing his first three meetings with Vieira via submission, Almeida avenged his losses with a dominant run of points victories.
Vieira last competed in grappling in 2018, one year after he made his MMA debut before going on to sign with the UFC the following year.
Buchecha vs Vieira grappling matchesDateResultWorld Championship2014Buchecha via pointsWorld Cup2014Buchecha via pointsWorld Championships2013Buchecha via pointsWorld Cup2013Buchecha via pointsWorld Championships2012Buchecha via pointsWorld Cup2012Vieira via chokeWorld Championship2011Vieira via armbar submissionPan Championship2011Vieira via chokeMarcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida faces a ranked opponent on his UFC debut
After making the switch to MMA, Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida has produced a pro record of 5-1, with his only loss coming to ONE’s current heavyweight champion, Oumar ‘Reug Reug’ Kane.
His opponent for his UFC debut on July 26 will be the #13-ranked Martin Buday, who has gone 6-1 inside the Octagon.
With an overall record of 15-2, he’s never been submitted in his career, with his only UFC loss coming to Shamil Gaziev in December of 2023.
It’s a fairly strong test for Almeida on his UFC debut but as is the case in any matchup he’s in, the fight could end very quickly if it hits the ground.