# Marcus Almeida

> Record 13-time IBJJF black-belt World Champion, six-time absolute Mundial winner, two-time ADCC +99 kg champion, and UFC heavyweight.

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- **Last updated:** 2026-07-18

## Identity

- **Name:** Marcus Almeida
- **Full name:** Marcus Vinícius Oliveira de Almeida
- **Nickname:** Buchecha
- **Belt:** black belt
- **Team:** Checkmat / American Top Team
- **Nationality:** Brazil
- **Born:** 1990-01-08
- **Birthplace:** São Vicente, São Paulo, Brazil
- **Weight class:** Pesadíssimo / Ultra-Heavyweight (+100.5 kg); ADCC +99 kg; MMA Heavyweight
- **Height:** 6'3" (191–192 cm)

## Biography

Marcus Vinícius Oliveira de Almeida, universally known as “Buchecha,” is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Rodrigo Cavaca and one of the most decorated competitors in the sport’s history. Born on January 8, 1990, in São Paulo state, he grew up around the Santos / São Vicente coast and first imagined himself in football or surfing rather than combat sports. Jiu-jitsu entered his life through family: his sister started training, his protective father Cleiton accompanied her to the academy, and Marcus soon followed. Cavaca gave him the nickname Buchecha—Portuguese for cheek or chubby cheeks—because he was an overweight kid when he arrived on the mat.

Under Cavaca at Checkmat, Almeida developed into a rare heavyweight: enormous and powerful, but mobile enough to wrestle, invert, scramble, and attack submissions from positions that smaller athletes usually owned. His lower-belt rise included titles at the Brasileiro, Pan, São Paulo Cup, Scandinavian Open, and World Championship level. After receiving his black belt on the podium following his 2010 World No-Gi success, he moved to the United States with Cavaca and teammate Thiago “Baiano” Aragão, then quickly proved he could win at black belt by taking IBJJF World No-Gi gold and establishing himself among the elite.

The 2012 season made Buchecha the face of a new heavyweight era. He won the IBJJF Pan Championship and World Championship in both his weight class and the absolute division, beat names such as Rodolfo Vieira, Bernardo Faria, Kron Gracie, and André Galvão in major brackets, and fought Roger Gracie to a famous 20-minute submission-only draw at Metamoris 1. From there he built a record-setting Mundial run: double gold in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2019, plus ultra-heavyweight gold in 2018, for 13 black-belt IBJJF World titles overall. His six absolute World titles broke Roger Gracie’s previous open-weight record and made him the all-time leader in black-belt World Championship gold medals.

A serious knee injury at the 2015 Worlds could have ended that chase. Almeida tore major ligaments against Ricardo Evangelista, missed ADCC 2015, and rushed a difficult rehabilitation so he could return to the Pyramid in 2016. The comeback became one of his defining chapters: he won ultra-heavyweight and absolute gold in 2016, then added another double-gold season in 2017 and his second ADCC +99 kg title the same year. His rivalry map touches nearly every major heavyweight of the decade—Rodolfo Vieira, Leandro Lo, Felipe Pena, Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu, Gordon Ryan, Kaynan Duarte, and Roger Gracie, who submitted him in their 2017 Gracie Pro rematch before retiring from jiu-jitsu.

After conquering gi and no-gi grappling, Almeida shifted to mixed martial arts. He signed with ONE Championship in 2020, debuted in 2021, and went 5–1 in the promotion with all five wins finished in the first round, including submissions of Anderson Silva, Kang Ji Won, Kirill Grishenko, and Amir Aliakbari. Once his ONE contract ended, he entered free agency and signed with the UFC in 2025, continuing his heavyweight MMA development at American Top Team. His competitive identity remains rooted in the same grappling traits that made him historic: double-leg entries, pressure from top, dangerous toe holds and heel hooks, and a relentless back-taking/submission game for an athlete of his size.

## Lineage

Carlos Gracie > Carlson Gracie > Élcio Figueiredo > Rodrigo Cavaca > Marcus Almeida

## Instructors

- Rodrigo Cavaca

## Signature techniques / game

- Double-leg takedown
- Toe hold
- Choke from the back / rear naked choke
- Armbar
- Heel hook
- Kimura
- Pressure passing and heavyweight scrambles

## Major achievements

- 13× IBJJF World Champion — black belt gi record (2012 weight & absolute; 2013 weight & absolute; 2014 weight & absolute; 2016 weight & absolute; 2017 weight & absolute; 2018 weight; 2019 weight & absolute)
- 6× IBJJF World Championship absolute winner — all-time black-belt open-weight record
- 2× ADCC World Champion — +99 kg (2013, 2017)
- ADCC Absolute medalist — silver (2013, 2019) and bronze (2017)
- 4× IBJJF World No-Gi Champion — weight and absolute (2010, 2011)
- IBJJF Pan Champion — weight and absolute (2012)
- IBJJF Pro League Grand Prix Champion (2016)
- UAEJJF Abu Dhabi World Pro Champion — multiple weight and absolute titles (2012–2015)
- IBJJF Hall of Fame member
- Former ONE Championship heavyweight; five first-round ONE victories and 100% finish rate in wins
- UFC heavyweight competitor; signed after completing his ONE Championship contract in 2025

## Colored belt highlights

- World Championship, Brasileiro, Pan Championship, São Paulo Cup, and Scandinavian Open wins before black belt
- Promoted to black belt by Rodrigo Cavaca on the podium after his 2010 World Championship success
- Moved to the United States in 2010 with Cavaca and Thiago “Baiano” Aragão to compete and coach full time

## Official / social links

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marcusbuchecha/
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MarcusBuchechaBJJ

## Sources

- [BJJ Heroes — Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida](https://www.bjjheroes.com/bjj-fighters/marcus-almeida-buchecha)
- [Wikipedia — Marcus Buchecha](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Buchecha)
- [FloGrappling — Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida](https://www.flograppling.com/people/5950142-marcus-buchecha-almeida)
- [UFC — Marcus Buchecha](https://www.ufc.com/athlete/marcus-buchecha)
- [ONE Championship — Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida](https://www.onefc.com/athletes/buchecha/)
- [MMA Fighting — Buchecha signs with UFC](https://www.mmafighting.com/2025/7/8/24463695/marcus-buchecha-signs-ufc-faces-martin-buday-abu-dhabi)
- [Graciemag — Roger Gracie vs. Buchecha rematch](https://www.graciemag.com/in-historic-match-roger-gracie-takes-the-back-and-finishes-marcus-buchecha-at-gracie-pro-jiu-jitsu/)

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