Jiu-jitsu legend Marcus Buchecha grew to become a free agent after years underneath the ONE Championship banner and has already joined the UFC, reserving his debut for July 26 in Abu Dhabi.
A number of individuals with data of the state of affairs confirmed to MMA Combating that Buchecha will tackle Slovak heavyweight Martin Buday later this month within the United Arab Emirates. Robert Tellez first reported the information.
Buchecha is 5-1 as an expert MMA fighter with a 100% end charge. The American High Group expertise hasn’t fought since November 2024, when he returned from a 15-month layoff to faucet out Amir Aliakbari in spherical one.
Buchecha is likely one of the most adorn champions in jiu-jitsu historical past, a file 13 IBJJF world championships as a black belt — plus a pair of ADCC gold medals. The one defeat of his MMA profession got here in a 2023 choice in opposition to future ONE heavyweight champion “Reug Reug” Oumar Kane.
Buday is 6-1 underneath the UFC banner and 15-2 total within the sport, selecting up choice victories in opposition to Andrei Arlovski and Uran Satybaldiev in his most up-to-date appearances to rebound from a stoppage defeat to Shamil Gaziev in December 2023.
The upcoming UFC Combat Night time occasion in Abu Dhabi will happen on the Etihad Area and have one other ONE veteran in the principle occasion, as former two-division ONE titleholder Reinier de Ridder seems to go 3-0 within the UFC when he faces ex-UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker.
Damon Martin contributed to this report.
