Abu Dhabi: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu star Marcus Almeida has a calm demeanour but his flawless stealth and controlled aggression make him a silent assassin when on the mat.
Almeida, currently in the UAE capital ahead of the eighth Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, to be held at the Ipic Arena at Zayed Sports City, from April 15-24, has been dominating the black-belt absolute class and completed a hat-trick of titles at the World Pro last year.
Such has been his dominance that he has made the field look ridiculously ordinary and most have already tipped him as firm favourite to win the coveted title again.
In a true tone of an undisputed fighter still hungry for more, Almeida immediately ruled out any question that top billing was weighing heavy on him.
“I have done something that nobody ever has done before here — winning three times the open weight,” he said.
“I have three belts at home like that. It’s mine and nobody can take it from me,” said Almeida pointing towards the glittering belts on the table, before adding: “It’s really sweet, you know, to have them at home. It’s going to be different of course. I’m going to do my best, but sure everybody else is going to give their best too. So let’s see how it goes. It’s going to be some great fights and a great tournament.”
The only problem though this time round will be his lack of fights coming into the tournament for his title defence because of a knee injury sustained while competing in the World Championships in California soon after the bouts in the capital last time.
“I got hurt and had to undergo surgery on my left knee and had to stay without training for almost a year, and this is my first competition,” revealed the 26-year-old, who asserted that he was feeling good but will get a clearer picture when he jumps into action.
“Still, I have to go out there and compete to know how good I feel. So that’s one way to answer the question,” said Almeida, who won the black belt weight division for a third successive year with a 2-0 points victory over Alexander Trans in 2015.
In the absolute class too, Trans was on the receiving end and this time he will be looking for some payback.
However, Brazilian Almeida insisted: “There are a lot of guys out there to make a fight out of every contest, particularly those who have moved from brown to black belt this year. They are the new generation of fighters. It’s going to be interesting.”
Almeida is a full-time Jiu-Jitsu professional and does a lot of seminars sharing his knowledge around the world.
“The field is the same every year because they come out by correcting their mistakes and with new techniques and strategies. I have also done my part and am ready for the competition. For sure it’s going to be a great show,” he revealed.
Almeida knows though that he has to stay ahead of the game, particularly coming back after his recuperation.
“Like every other sport, Jiu-Jitsu too is changing. You need to keep abreast with the changes and adapt to new techniques and styles with the new generation fighters. You can’t stick to the same old methods but adapt to the changes and situations to face any situation out there on the mat,” he concluded.
