Buchecha

Forca Method is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Marcus Buchecha Almeida. They are featured here for educational and editorial purposes. Information is compiled from public sources including FloGrappling, BJJ Fanatics, Tapology, and official competition records.

Who They Are

Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida isn’t just a heavy guy who knows some moves—he’s a true grappler’s grappler. Born in São Paulo and raised in the pressure-cooker of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu’s top tiers, he built his name grinding it out against every type of player you could throw at him. If you’ve ever watched the black belt absolute finals at Worlds, you’ve probably seen him on the mat. Buchecha racked up a ridiculous haul: 13 IBJJF world titles at black belt. When people talk about BJJ’s GOATs, his name gets thrown in every time. These days, he’s moved over to MMA, but anyone who trains knows his gi—and no-gi—resume speaks for itself.

Why They Matter

It’s not just the gold medals. Plenty of guys win once or twice. Buchecha dominated over a stretch where the heavyweight divison was crawling with big names: Rodolfo, Leandro, Cyborg, Joao Gabriel Rocha, and others. He wasn’t always the flashiest guy but he won—again and again. If you’re a serious competitor, here’s why you should care: Buchecha found ways to solve every style at the highest level. He handled pressure passers, double guard pulls, small guys, big guys, grinders… all of it. His game delivered under IBJJF rules, ADCC rule sets, and pure submission grappling. And he did this while consistently having a target on his back as the guy to beat. That’s relevant if you ever plan to keep winning after people start breaking down your game.

Style And Strengths

It’s easy to look at his size and say Buchecha’s all about horsepower, but that misses the real story. Yes, he’s a heavyweight—but watch him move. Buchecha’s speed, especially in the early minutes, would put smaller athletes to shame. He combines that with clean, technical grips and an underrated amount of timing.

Guard work: Most heavyweights settle for closed guard and hope for a stall. Buchecha’s open guard—especially his single leg X and sit-up guard—eats up space. He comes up for sweeps at a pace that wears down slower guys. Once he’s on top, his mobility stands out: his knee cut isn’t just fast, it’s relentless. He doesn’t grip-and-hold—he forces reactions, then follows with bodyweight that feels like a truck.

Top pressure: Getting stuck under Buchecha is brutal. His pressure isn’t just “big guy smush.” He adjusts hips, floats to north-south, and uses leg-weaving to kill frames. He’ll attack the back or arm triangle relentlessly if you overreact.

Transitions: Buchecha’s real weapon is his “in between” game. He isn’t static. Every time his opponent moves, he’s either advancing a position or threatening a submission. You see him constantly chaining pass to mount to back take, sometimes within ten seconds. That’s hell to keep up with in a tournament match.

Scrambling: For a guy his size, Buchecha scrambles like a featherweight. He doesn’t accept positions, and if he loses a pass he immediately transitions to a leg drag, or runs around to switch up the angle. You’re never comfortable, even if you manage to recover half guard.

Submission attacks: He finishes from dominant positions. Arm triangles from mount, rear naked chokes and back attacks, kneebars—nothing wild or exotic, just high-percentage, heavy pressure finishing.

What Grapplers Can Learn

If you’re training seriously—not just rolling light at open mat—Buchecha gives you a blueprint for how a big guy should move. First lesson: don’t be a statue. Heavyweights love to settle in a position because the size alone feels safe. But Buchecha keeps his pace up, especially early, and forces smaller, faster opponents to deal with real pressure and real speed. If you’re bigger, learn to move instead of waiting.

For guard players: Notice how he commits to coming up on sweeps. There’s no hesitation. If you sit up, don’t half-ass it. Hit the sweep, get to your knees, and chase the takedown, especially in a points match.

For top players: Watch his pressure passing. He rarely relies on just holding. He kills frames with leg pummeling and switches sides constantly. If your passing game feels stuck, fix your transitions—don’t just squeeze harder.

Scrambling: Don’t think scrambling is for small guys. You can re-scramble if you lose a position—even at heavyweight. Train your get-ups and your leg drag transitions. Watch Buchecha in the Rodolfo matches; he doesn’t settle for bad spots.

Dealing with fatigue: Everyone thinks about grips and forearm burn. Buchecha’s style lets him pressure without overgripping. He saves his squeeze for the finish, not for stalling in side control. If your forearms are blowing up before the match is halfway done, study how Buchecha floats and shifts his weight, using his body rather than just squeezing.

Consistency: Buchecha didn’t show up once a year; he stayed at the top, even against new generations. If you want a sustainable game, build layers—don’t rely on one move, one position, or one grip.

Final Takeaway

You don’t need to be his size or have his athleticism to learn from Buchecha. What matters is structure: constantly chaining attacks, switching between passing and submissions, making your transitions faster than your opponent’s reactions. Don’t just memorize his techniques—watch how he moves between them, how he creates scramble opportunities, and how he prevents people from settling. If you train hard rounds and want your game to hold up at tournament pace, there are few better grapplers to study. Buchecha set the standard for what heavyweight jiu-jitsu should look like—and his blueprint works for anyone who wants to actually win under real tournament pressure.