Kennedy Nzechukwu and Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida delivered a compelling clash of styles at UFC Vegas 112 on Saturday night, as the seasoned striker and decorated grappler battled for ground in the heavyweight division.
Nzechukwu (14-6) entered the bout looking to rebound from his submission loss to Valter Walker in July. Eager to reassert himself in the heavyweight division, he viewed UFC Vegas 112 as a critical opportunity to reset his momentum.
Buchecha (5-2) entered the octagon for the second time in his UFC tenure, already seeking to rebound from his debut loss in July. The decorated jiu-jitsu champion compiled a 5-1 record under the ONE Championship banner before signing with the UFC.
Round 1 – Buchecha opened the fight with a body kick before immediately hunting for takedowns, but Nzechukwu was prepared, stuffing the first attempt with ease.
Nzechukwu adopted a heavy lead-leg stance, left hand loaded and ready as he crouched low. Buchecha then dove in for another takedown and secured it, quickly transitioning to look for the back. Nzechukwu returned to his feet, only for Buchecha to drag him down again and attack a kneebar.
Nzechukwu freed his leg, but Buchecha used the scramble to stand and once again drive him to the mat. The decorated grappler stayed glued to Nzechukwu’s back, forcing him down repeatedly while working from a body lock and eventually finishing a single-leg takedown.
Nzechukwu scrambled to the fence, stood up, and was taken down yet again, with Buchecha locking in a body triangle from the back. Nzechukwu eventually got upright, clinched Buchecha against the fence, and landed a knee to the cup, prompting a timeout from referee Herb Dean.
When the action resumed, Buchecha shot in immediately, working a single leg and pulling Nzechukwu down on top of him, but wound up stuck underneath. He hip-escaped, returned to his feet, and cracked Nzechukwu with a clean right hand.
Nzechukwu responded with a barrage of heavy power shots, dropping Buchecha just as the round ended.
Round 2 – Just seconds into the second round, Buchecha dropped to the canvas, signaling that he had been poked in the eye.
Referee Herb Dean immediately called for a timeout.
Replays showed Nzechukwu advancing with his hands open and fingers extended as Buchecha leaned into range, resulting in a clear and damaging eye poke. Before restarting the action, Dean deducted a point from Nzechukwu.
When the fight resumed, Nzechukwu landed a heavy left hand, but Buchecha answered with an overhand right that grazed its target before shooting in for a takedown, briefly getting the fight to the mat.
Nzechukwu returned to his feet, while Buchecha remained grounded, attempting to lure his opponent into grappling exchanges, but was eventually ordered to stand. That lasted only moments before Buchecha exploded forward with another takedown, quickly transitioning to take Nzechukwu’s back.
Buchecha advanced to a dominant side-mount position and unleashed a series of hard elbows and right hands. Nzechukwu covered up, a concerning visual, but the fight continued.
In the closing seconds, Buchecha isolated an arm and attempted an armbar, trying to extend Nzechukwu’s right arm, but he ran out of time before he could finish the submission.
Round 3 – Buchecha opened the third round by diving in for yet another takedown. Nzechukwu stuffed the initial attempt, but Buchecha stayed attached and eventually dragged him to the mat. From there, Buchecha laced Nzechukwu’s left leg while defending elbows being thrown back at him.
Nzechukwu attempted to step over into mount, but Buchecha felt the transition and slipped around to retain back control. Nzechukwu continued firing elbows over his shoulder, yet the position remained unchanged.
Nzechukwu eventually worked back to his feet with Buchecha still clinging to his back. When Buchecha released and faced him, he tried once more to drag Nzechukwu down, but ended up underneath and absorbed several heavy shots from the larger man.
Buchecha then inverted to chase a kneebar, but the leg position wasn’t right for him to finish the submission. The round ended with Nzechukwu landing elbows from top position.
In the end, the earlier point deduction spared Buchecha from a loss, as the judges rendered the bout a draw.
Official Result: Marcus Buechecha vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu ends in draw (28-28, 28-28, 28-28)
