Martin Buday has received six of his seven UFC fights since becoming a member of the corporate in 2022 and has by no means been submitted in 17 skilled bouts, however promotional newcomer Marcus Buchecha continues to be closely favored to win their UFC Abu Dhabi conflict.
Forward of their combat this Saturday, Buchecha disagrees with that sentiment.
“I’m anxious to really feel all that, however I’m not feeling pressured,” Buchecha instructed MMA Combating forward of his UFC debut. “I feel the stress is on the opposite facet. Positive, I’ve my titles, I’ve my profession, my historical past in jiu-jitsu, and I’ll take all that have with me to the UFC, however I’m not the favourite.
“If we have been to combat on the gi, then I’d be the favourite and pressured to win. With that obligation to win, let’s put it this fashion. However in MMA, I don’t really feel that. I by no means did [in ONE Championship], and likewise not within the UFC. I’m new to the game, however I’m coming hungry for this.”
The Brazilian is nothing in need of a legend within the grappling circuit with a document 13 IBJJF world championships as a black belt and a pair of ADCC gold medals received, plus a protracted checklist of main achievements within the sport. Buchecha joined MMA in 2021 and presently owns a document of 5-1, with all of his wins coming by means of first-round end. Regardless of the hype, Buchecha isn’t feeling stress on his shoulders to ship.
Having not fought shortly, a compelled layoff had Buchecha considering retirement. He desires to make up for misplaced time and combat once more in 2025 after UFC Abu Dhabi, however a dream likelihood to be a part of UFC Rio de Janeiro on Oct. 11 could possibly be too early.
“The main target is on the twenty sixth. I dwell one step at a time,” Buchecha stated. “I need to maintain my ft on the bottom, go there and combat, after which make that kind of plan. However I’m tremendous excited for this debut. I’m completely happy to be preventing. I’ll carry the jiu-jitsu flag to the world’s best and most well-known octagon.”
Buday scored resolution victories over Andrei Arlovski and Uran Satybaldiev in his most up-to-date octagon appearances, rebounding from his lone octagon defeat, a second-round TKO to Shamil Gaziev.
Buchecha provides Buday the “stress” to win given his expertise, and is grateful to have the chance to coach with a protracted checklist of skilled heavyweights over at American Prime Group in Florida, from Renan Ferreira to Junior dos Santos to Rodrigo Nascimento, plus a training workers that features Katel Kubis, Steve Mocco, “King Mo” Lawal, Marcos Parumpa, Conan Silveira and Mike Brown.
“He’s a [jiu-jitsu] black belt,” Buchecha stated of Buday. “There’s a number of heavyweights which can be monsters on the ft however know nothing after they hit the bottom. That’s not his case. He’s a black belt and trains jiu-jitsu for fairly some time, however I’ve fought in opposition to black belts my complete life. World championships, all black belts there, so my opponent being a black belt or not doesn’t change something for me as a result of I’ll at all times imagine in my jiu-jitsu in opposition to anybody.”
“However I’ve to be ready for any scenario, proper?” he continued. “If the combat doesn’t go to the bottom we’ve to remain on the ft, so we’ve to really feel comfy there. I’ll be ready for all areas, prefer it occurred to me once I wasn’t capable of take the combat to the bottom and needed to combat on the ft, taking longer for me to get it to the bottom. That is the magic about MMA. The plan doesn’t at all times work, however the fighter has to adapt, has to determine it out.”
