Marcus "Buchecha" Almeida, Grappler Of The Decade
Marcus "Buchecha" Almeida, Grappler Of The Decade
After receiving his blackbelt in 2010, Buchecha has shattered records ultimately becoming the grappler of the decade.
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Stepping into 2020, we reflect on the most impactful grapplers of the decade. Although there are many honorable mentions, none stand out more than Marcus "Buchecha" Almeida.
Highlights Of The Decade
Almeida became a black belt after winning brown belt worlds in 2010. He received his black belt on the podium, and in the 10 years since then Almeida has been nearly unstoppable, winning every major tournament in the jiu-jitsu circuit. Here are some of his most notable accomplishments in past years;
- 1st Place ADCC World Championship (2013 / 2017)
- 1st Place IBJJF World Championship (2012** / 2013** / 2014** / 2016** / 2017** / 2018 / 2019**)
- 1st Place IBJJF World Championship No-Gi (2010** / 2011**)
- 1st Place IBJJF Pan Championship (2012**)
- 1st Place IBJJF Pro League Grand Prix (2016)
- 1st Place UAEJJF Abu Dhabi Pro (2012* / 2013* / 2014** / 2015**)
- 2nd Place ADCC World Championship (2019*)
- 3rd Place IBJJF World Championship (2011*)
- 3rd Place ADCC World Championship (2017*)
** Gold in weight and absolute division, * absolute division
Since receiving his blackbelt on the podium in 2010, Buchecha has relentlessly risen through the ranks and is now in a stratosphere all his own. At 29 years of age, Buchecha has safely cemented himself in history as one of the best athletes to ever step on matted surface.
After breaking Roger Gracie's record for 10 world titles in 2018, Buchecha is running out of challenges. We've seen him compete less in recent years and fans are curious if Buchecha is transitioning away from competition.
Today we break down Buchecha's past 10 years in competition and examine what he still needs to accomplish before hanging up the jacket.
By the Numbers
Since 2010, Buchecha has had a total of 152 matches in the competition.
He currently has 138 wins and 14 loses. Out of his 138 wins, 52 percent of them were won by submission.
Although Buchecha is successful with a wide variety of attacks, he most frequents hunts for the armbar.
Throughout his career, Buchecha has claimed victories over most of the sport's elite. Here is a list of top tier athletes he has beaten in the past decade;
- Leandro Lo
- Murilo Santana
- Kron Gracie
- Rodolfo Vieira
- Andre Galvao
- Roberto "Cyborg" Abreu
- Garry Tonon
- Keenan Cornelius
- Felipe Pena
- Joao Rocha
- Mahamed Aly
- Orlando Sanchez
- Alexandre Ribeiro
- Nicholas Meregali
- Victor Hugo
Entering The New Decade
After solidifying his legacy, what does Buchecha need to do moving forward? All roads point to one title – ADCC Absolute Champion.
Buchecha has come close to claiming this title twice before. Once in 2013 in the final against Roberto "Cyborg" Abreu and again in 2019 against Gordon Ryan. Buchecha coming back strong in 2021 to take the podium would put a climax on a stellar competition career.
