After nearly three years of anticipation, Reug Reug finally won against Marcus Buchecha at ONE Championship Fight Night 13 in a unanimous decision following a grueling 15 minutes of back-and-forth battling.
The intense clash between Reug Reug and Marcus Buchecha finally reached its conclusion after nearly three years of anticipation. Both fighters were intended to face each other within ONE Championship multiple times, but diverse circumstances consistently prevented the match. At long last, the two heavyweight giants met on Friday within the battlefield of ONE Championship Fight Night 13 hosted in Bangkok. Over the course of 15 relentless minutes packed with skilful manoeuvres and counterattacks, Reug Reug emerged victories, securing a hard-earned unanimous decision win.
The undefeated Senegalese wrestler made a solid impression in the opening round, demonstrating his resilience against the 15-time BJJ world champion’s offence. Reug Reug successfully negated Buchecha’s takedown attempts and laid down potent strikes. Although the Brazilian powerhouse persevered through the assault, the effects showed in his fatigued condition. The subsequent round saw an equally exhausted Reug Reug grounded by Buchecha’s rapid takedown. The latter then began to make ground despite the former’s rising resistance. Buchecha finally captured a considerable position, but Reug Reug somehow managed to rise, regain dominance and retain it for the rest of the round, continuously weathering Buchecha’s attempts to fight back.
The final round was an electric display of frantic grappling and intense skirmishes, with exhaustion making the fight increasingly unpredictable. As the round resounded with referee Herb Dean’s warning over restricted activity, Reug Reug once again triumphed over Buchecha in a sudden clash. However, his victory was short-lived; he was penalised for illegal gloves grabbing. Following another foul by Reug Reug involving shorts grabbing, Dean further threatened disqualification. Despite the commotion, Buchecha sensed the fleeting fight and attempted to seize control. Both combatants hurled their might into furious exchanges, ending with Buchecha securing a late takedown. Reug Reug eventually committed another foul by grabbing Buchecha’s shorts, earning a yellow card from Dean. Alas, the clock was winding down, and Reug Reug managed to maintain his lead to ultimately secure a unanimous decision.
The victory brings Reug Reug’s career record to 6-1, potentially marking his future in a fight against ONE heavyweight champion, Anatoly Malykhin. Reports describing the thrilling fight and its highlights continue to reverberate in the world of mixed martial arts.