By FCF Staff

In advance of his bout today with Amir Aliakbari at ONE 169, Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida has confirmed the fight is the last on his current contract.

The renowned and decorated jiu-jitsu competitor has gone 4-1 to date in MMA fights, all of which have take place under the ONE Championship banner. After joining the promotion in 2021, “Buchecha” proceeded to win four straight, before losing a decision to Oumar “Reug Reug” Kane last August.

Recently, “Buchecha” reported to MMA Fighting.com that Friday’s fight is the last on his deal with ONE, and that he’s hoping to secure more leverage for negotiations, with a victory.

“This fight will give me leverage. So I’ll focus 100 percent on this fight and then discuss better terms. This is the goal.”

The 34-year-old “Buchecha” has publicly voiced frustration in the past about not being booked more often to compete.

“I hope to talk to you again on Saturday and definitely talk about the future, but my goal right now is Friday,” Buchecha said. “It obviously wasn’t my decision [to stay out for over a year] but I was in the gym, training and evolving in every aspect as an athlete on the feet, in wrestling, in jiu-jitsu. I feel a much better fighter now than I was last time I entered the ring.“

ONE 169 is taking place in Bangkok, Thailand. In the main event, “Reug Reug” will challenge Anatoly Malykhin for his heavyweight title.