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| Brandon Vera just got more challengers. |
MANILA--It seems like Brandon Vera has found someone he looks forward to meet with.
The reigning One heavyweight champion said that he got pumped up after the promotion acquired Marcus Almeida last week.
"He is a phenomenal athlete. I am very lucky to have the opportunity to possibly meet him in the 'One Circle'," Vera said of Almeida, who he described as a "monster."
While the Brazilian fighter is set to give mixed martial arts a try by joining One, he is no pushover.
Almeida, known by the moniker "Buchecha", which literally means chubby cheeks in Portuguese, is a Brazilian jiujitsu black belter who won nine International Brazilian Jiujitsu Federation World Championship titles in a span of 10 years.
Almeida won his first two in the no-gi category before dominating the gi category later on.
Almeida compiled a total of 138 jiujitsu wins, 72 of which came by submission.
Fifteen of the 72 finishes happened via armbars, which is not that of a common submission finish in MMA, which means Almeida can be very dangerous when the game goes to the canvas.
“I am very familiar with his grappling accolades. He has beaten the best in the world and at any given moment, at any weight, he is one of the top two grapplers in the world against anyone. I am very excited he is making the transition to MMA,” Vera added.
Almeida headlines One's new signings amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and like him, some others will compete in the heavyweight division, somehow giving Vera a run for his money.
"One signed a plethora of amazingly talented heavyweights. I’m going to train right now!" the former Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran interjected.
For now, Vera is setting his sights on his upcoming One heavyweight title defense against Arjan Bhullar, which could happen later this year or early next year depending on how the pandemic will ease through time.
Follow him on Twitter: @IvanSaldajeno_
While the Brazilian fighter is set to give mixed martial arts a try by joining One, he is no pushover.
Almeida, known by the moniker "Buchecha", which literally means chubby cheeks in Portuguese, is a Brazilian jiujitsu black belter who won nine International Brazilian Jiujitsu Federation World Championship titles in a span of 10 years.
Almeida won his first two in the no-gi category before dominating the gi category later on.
Almeida compiled a total of 138 jiujitsu wins, 72 of which came by submission.
Fifteen of the 72 finishes happened via armbars, which is not that of a common submission finish in MMA, which means Almeida can be very dangerous when the game goes to the canvas.
“I am very familiar with his grappling accolades. He has beaten the best in the world and at any given moment, at any weight, he is one of the top two grapplers in the world against anyone. I am very excited he is making the transition to MMA,” Vera added.
Almeida headlines One's new signings amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and like him, some others will compete in the heavyweight division, somehow giving Vera a run for his money.
"One signed a plethora of amazingly talented heavyweights. I’m going to train right now!" the former Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran interjected.
For now, Vera is setting his sights on his upcoming One heavyweight title defense against Arjan Bhullar, which could happen later this year or early next year depending on how the pandemic will ease through time.
Follow him on Twitter: @IvanSaldajeno_
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