Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida, widely considered one of the greatest competitors in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu history, didn’t hold back in a recent interview on Connect Cast…
Where he voiced his disapproval of a growing trend among elite athletes – avoiding the tough matches:

The guys hide from a tough fight, it’s a stop here.
The other day I said this, I gave an interview, I said it makes me sad.

Having won a record-setting 13 IBJJF World Championships, Buchecha has seen the evolution of the sport from inside and out, and he’s concerned by what he sees.

According to him, this current era lacks the same spirit of competition that defined the sport’s earlier legends:

Jiu-Jitsu, imagine the people explaining to (Ricardo) Arona that these guys are wanting, so the fight that everyone wants to see, the guys are choosing, avoiding to the maximum, try to explain to Paulão (Filho), these old guys…

Buchecha brought up his own rivalry with Rodolfo Vieira as a contrast to what’s happening today:

I and Rodolfo made a lot of fights. He was the biggest rival I had in my career.

I fought with him in the World Cup. He won and caught me.
I spent a whole year fighting with him in the near future…

And the people wanted to see this fight.

He made it clear that he doesn’t believe all the blame lies with the athletes.

Instead, Buchecha pointed to coaches, managers, and external business pressures that often shape a fighter’s career path:

I honestly believe that it’s not for the athletes, but for people or coaches or businessmen so I don’t think there’s a way to blame the athletes.

Still, he singled out competitors like André Galvão and Micael Galvão as examples of fighters who never back down.
In Buchecha’s view, they represent the kind of mentality the sport needs more of:

Sometimes this excess of care with the athletes ends up being a little harmful to the athletes.
You have to be careful that the fighter is the fighter.

(And) the fighter fights at any time.