ONE Championship adds Buchecha vs Amir Aliakbari heavyweight MMA fight to ONE 169

Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida will finally return to the ONE Championship ring next month, with a high stakes heavyweight MMA fight set for Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok.
The Brazilian jiu jitsu legend has had to sit patiently on the sidelines ever since Oumar “Reug Reug” Kane pumped the brakes on his blistering start to professional MMA in August 2023.
Senegal’s Reug Reug handed Buchecha the first loss of his burgeoning new career, but he will look to bounce back against Iran’s Amir Aliakbari.
The two will meet on November 9 on the relocated ONE 169 card, which moved from Atlanta due to “partner obligations” in Thailand.
Victory for either is likely to set up a title shot against the winner of the show’s main event, between Reug Reug and heavyweight MMA champ Anatoly Malykhin.
Aliakbari was knocked out by Russia’s Malykhin in September 2021, but has rebounded with four straight victories – three by finish – to move to the cusp of a rematch.
ONE 169 is scheduled to feature three other title fights, with Rodtang Jitmuangnon set to defend his flyweight Muay Thai title against Jacob Smith in the co-main event.
A clash to crown the inaugural ONE women’s strawweight kickboxing champion between Jackie Buntan and Anissa Meksen was added to the card this week, too.
Christian Lee will also return from two years out to defend his lightweight MMA title against Alibeg Rasulov.