Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida is widely regarded as the premier grappler in MMA’s heavyweight ranks. A reputation he earned long before ever stepping into a cage. After a legendary run in jiu-jitsu, he shifted gears and brought his elite ground game into the world of mixed martial arts, where his success has only continued to grow. However, his debut fight at UFC Abu Dhabi didn’t quite go the way he wanted it to go. Taking on the #13-ranked Martin Buday, the Brazilian fighter lost the fight via a unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).
However, more than the result, it was the way the fight went for the BJJ legend. The 35-year-old looked absolutely gassed out during the fight and although he did show glimpses of his ground game, ‘Buchecha’ failed to cause any sort of damage to his opponent. The fans did not waste a single moment in sharing their honest opinion about the Brazilian after his fight.
Taking to the X account, one of the fans commented, “Wouldn’t mind sending Buchecha back to One FC” Another fan made it clear that he is not happy with the BJJ legend and commented, “Not the best debut for Buchecha. Further proof that there’s a significant gap between MMA fighters in ONE Championship compared to the UFC” Martin Buday walked into the fight as an underdog. However, despite winning, one of the users showed concerns about the result and commented, “They better not rob Buday of that win, especially coming in as a big underdog”
#UFCAbuDhabi Official Result: Martin Buday (29-28, 29-28, 29-28 | @MartinBudayUFC) defeats Marcus Buchecha via Unanimous Decision.
Complete Prelim Results https://t.co/lHTf86tMad@VisitAbuDhabi | @InAbuDhabi | #InAbuDhabi
— UFC News (@UFCNews) July 26, 2025
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