UFC heavyweight bruiser Martin Buday (16-2) will not be re-signed following his UFC Abu Dhabi victory over Marcus Almeida, which took place last weekend on the ESPN “Prelims” portion of the “Whittaker vs. De Ridder” fight card on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
It’s unusual for the promotion to part ways with a “Contender Series” graduate sporting a 7-1 record inside the Octagon — including a 2024 win over a former champion — leading fans to speculate that matchmakers are still seething over Buday’s upset win over “Buchecha.”
Almeida (5-2) is a highly-decorated grappler who was making his Octagon debut at UFC Abu Dhabi after spending the entirety of his career competing for ONE Championship. No doubt matchmakers were looking to the Brazilian to add more “respect” at heavyweight.
“Yeah it’s true, yesterday we got a call that UFC is not re-signing us for the moment,” the No. 12-ranked Buday wrote on social media. “Well, it is what it is, at least I’m leaving with my head up. Thank you.”
The 33 year-old Buday went to the judges’ scorecards in three straight wins after rebounding from a technical knockout loss to Shamil Gaziev at UFC 296. Whether or not his inability to finish his most recent fights played a part in the final decision is unknown.
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