This was one of the defining heavyweight rivalries of its era. Marcus Almeida “Buchecha” and Rodolfo Vieira met 5 times on record, all in the gi, and Buchecha holds a 4 to 1 edge. What is easy to miss is how the series flipped. Rodolfo took the first meeting, at the 2011 World Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship semi-finals, by Armbar. After that, Buchecha won the next four in a row.

The stylistic contrast helps explain the result. Rodolfo built his name as a pressure passer and finisher, with 61% of his recorded wins coming by submission and his back-take gi choke as his signature. Buchecha finishes at a 52% clip on record but was willing to win the long game, and that is exactly what happened here. After the 2011 submission loss, every subsequent meeting between them went to points, all in finals or the late rounds of majors.

The pattern of those points wins is the story. The 2012 quarter-finals at the World Championship, the 2013 Abu Dhabi World Pro final, the 2014 Abu Dhabi World Pro final, and the 2014 World Championship final all went Buchecha's way on the scoreboard. Rodolfo could finish nearly everyone else, but against Buchecha he could not close the gap once the format tightened up.