UFC heavyweight Marcus Buchecha’s first appearance in the Octagon left some fans calling for the division’s extinction.
Marcus Buchecha, a 13-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion and one of the greatest submission artists in the discipline’s history, dropped his UFC debut to Martin Buday to kick off the UFC Abu Dhabi event on Saturday. Buchecha was considered one of the biggest UFC signings of the year after a long-successful tenure in ONE Championship.
Opening up as one of the biggest favorites on the card, Buchecha looked flat-footed and sloppy with his grappling against Buday inside the cage. After three rounds, Buchecha walked away with a unanimous decision defeat in his debut.
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BJJ legend Marcus Buchecha suffered stunning upset to kick off UFC Abu Dhabi card
After Buchecha’s performance, fans were extremely critical of the Brazilian legend on social media. Some called for UFC CEO Dana White to dismantle the heavyweight division after watching Buchecha vs. Buday.
In a recent Instagram post, Buchecha broke his social media silence after UFC Abu Dhabi.
“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,” Buchecha said. “I know I have a lot to improve on, and unfortunately, I wasn’t able to perform at my best. All credit to my opponent for the victory. Congratulations, Martin Buday on the fight. It was a honor to share the cage with you.
“This wasn’t the first time I’ve lost, nor will it be the last. I’ve lost a lot in my career, and I’ve always used those defeats as lessons and learning experiences, and this time will be no different.
“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.”
Buchecha signed with the UFC after a win over Amir Aliakbari at ONE 169 last November. He went 5-1 in the ONE cage before making the move to the UFC Octagon.
‘Big’ John McCarthy shared ‘honest’ assessment of controversial UFC Abu Dhabi stoppage
After Buchecha’s loss, the UFC Abu Dhabi prelims featured a UFC record six knockdowns in a single fight by featherweight Steven Nguyen against hometown hero Mohammad Yahya. Nguyen dropped Yahya six times before referee Jason Herzog eventually waved off the fight at the end of the second round.
Many pundits and fellow fighters were extremely critical of Herzog after UFC Abu Dhabi. Famed referee ‘Big’ John McCarthy agreed with Herzog’s decision to let the fight play out, but says the action should’ve been stopped sooner.
Yahya walked away with a gruesome eye injury in the loss to Nguyen, further inflaming critics of Herzog’s officiating. Herzog is regarded by many as one of the best in the game, but UFC Abu Dhabi featured a rare mistake.