Amir Aliakbari expects spectacular fight with “Buchecha” 

Heavyweight MMA star Amir Aliakbari is in the best form of his career as he enters ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug this weekend. And he anticipates a firefight with fellow gargantuan Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium. 

The giants throw down inside the Muay Thai mecca on Friday, November 8, as they look to continue climbing the division’s ladder. 

Aliakbari rides a four-fight winning streak into the bout. Three of those have come by knockout, including one over Dustin Joynson and former heavyweight king Brandon Vera.  

While Aliakbari has been knocking men to the canvas, Almeida has been busy submitting his contemporaries. So the Iranian knows he’ll have to stay frosty in the grappling exchanges.  

“Marcus is a good opponent, and I have to be very careful with his jiu-jitsu. His strength is his jiu-jitsu, and his weakness is his striking,” Aliakbari said. 

“My plan is to do well and have a spectacular fight. Inshallah, I will come to Thailand to win.” 

Should Aliakbari overcome the 17-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion, he’ll have made a strong case to challenge for the ONE Heavyweight MMA World Title. But he isn’t getting ahead of himself.  

The AAA Gym product believes he’s ready for anything “Buchecha” may throw at him. But only then will he turn his attention to the winner of ONE 169’s main event clash between three-weight ONE MMA World Champion Anatoly Malykhin and “Reug Reug” Oumar Kane for the division’s gold.  

“I am ready to face anything that he brings to the fight,” he said. 

“Inshallah, after winning, I will definitely fight for the belt.” 

Amir Aliakbari looks to clinch Anatoly Malykhin rematch with win at ONE 169 

Amir Aliakbari is hungry for a shot at the ONE Heavyweight MMA World Title. But in addition, he’s also seeking revenge. 

The Iranian giant clashed with three-weight ONE MMA World Champion Anatoly Malykhin at ONE: REVOLUTION in September 2021. That night, Malykhin scored a first-round knockout over the Greco-Roman wrestler.  

But in the time since, Aliakbari has made great strides in his overall game to become one of the fiercest heavyweights in ONE Championship. He’s currently in the best form of his six-fight tenure, having won four in a row.  

So should he surpass Marcus Almeida this weekend, it’ll be no surprise to hear the 6-foot-4 Iranian bellow the name of the unbeaten Russian king.