UFC boss Dana White has never been one to sugarcoat tough decisions. But when the UFC team made their final call to heavyweight contender Martin Buday, it wasn’t the news anyone expected. At UFC Abu Dhabi, Buday had just picked up his third straight win and cracked the top 15.
Still, the message was clear: his time in the promotion was up. It didn’t matter that he had silenced a hyped newcomer or that his record stood at an impressive 7-1 inside the Octagon. What followed was a quiet exit, confirmed by the heavyweight himself on social media.
In a recent post on X, ‘Bady’s revealed, “Yeah its true, yesterday we got a call that @ufc is not resigning us for the moment… well it is what it is atleast im leaving with my head up. Thank you”
Let’s rewind to UFC Abu Dhabi. Buday stepped into the Octagon on the prelims, facing off against Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida, a man with an impressive background in grappling and a member of the IBJJF Hall of Fame. Buchecha was making his UFC debut after a solid 5-1 run in ONE Championship, and the hype around him was loud.
But the fight didn’t deliver. It was slow and sluggish as both men gassed pretty soon. Buday, however, did enough to walk away with the win. A tactical, grinding performance, not exciting, but effective.
Here’s where things get strange. As mentioned earlier, Buday was 7-1 in the UFC. He’d beaten former champion Andrei Arlovski and even submitted Josh Parisian in the very first round. His lone loss came against Shamil Gaziev back at UFC 296. And yet, after winning again, the UFC and Dana White cut ties.
Yeah its true, yesterday we got a call that @ufc is not resigning us for the moment… well it is what it is atleast im leaving with my head up. Thank you
— Martin Buday (@MartinBudayUFC) July 31, 2025
Yet, this goes deeper than one cut. Martin Buday’s release comes amid growing dissatisfaction with the heavyweight scene. Outside of Tom Aspinall and a few other names at the top, the division has seemingly been struggling to entertain.
As such, after UFC Abu Dhabi, one fan wrote on social media, “Feel bad for Tom Aspinall but they gotta delete the heavyweight division for the good of the fans.” Another added, “It’s like watching a different sport. Horrendous slop.”
So now, the UFC’s heavyweight picture shifts again. A jiu-jitsu legend gets to stick around after a flat debut. A top-15 grinder walks away without a contract. And fans? They’re still waiting for fireworks in a weight class that promises chaos but often delivers fatigue.
However, while the winner of the Abu Dhabi heavyweight clash exits the promotion, the man whose debut he spoiled has finally opened up on his heartbreaking loss!
Dana White axes UFC Abu Dhabi winner as Marcus ‘Buchecha’ opens up on his debut loss
Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida had all the tools. A 5-1 record in ONE Championship and perhaps the greatest jiu-jitsu resume of any heavyweight to ever step into the Octagon. His UFC debut at Abu Dhabi was supposed to be the next chapter in a decorated career. But things didn’t go to plan.
Almeida struggled from the opening bell. He couldn’t get the fight where he wanted it, on the mat. Landing just 1 of 11 takedown attempts, the BJJ phenom was forced into a sluggish stand-up battle. Martin Buday, the underdog, stayed composed and cruised to a decision win. And just like that, Buchecha’s dream start turned into a rough reality check.
Now, the Brazilian grappler is owning the setback. In a heartfelt Instagram post, he admitted, “My UFC debut didn’t go as I dreamed, but that’s part of the game. I made a lot of mistakes and paid the price with the loss. I know I have a lot to improve on, and unfortunately, I wasn’t able to perform at my best.”
That kind of humility is rare. Especially after such a high-stakes moment. Still, he’s not done. Not even close. The heavyweight grappler continued by sharing, “Thank you to everyone who supported me, helped me get here, and to everyone who cheers me on. As the saying goes: “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger!” And I’m still alive here.”
So, Martin Buday may have walked out with the win, but he left without a future in the UFC. Meanwhile, Marcus Almeida walked away with a loss, but perhaps something more valuable: perspective. Yet both men now find themselves outside the title conversation, each with a different road ahead!
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