Winning consistently in the UFC is difficult, and thus far, all Buday has done is post victories.
A member of the Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) Class of ’21, the 31-year-old Slovakian heavyweight has pushed his overall winning streak to 11 with consecutive decision wins over Chris Barnett, Lukasz Brzeski, and Jake Collier inside the Octagon. None of the three were particularly dominant, and none of them ranked high in terms of aesthetics and excitement, but three trips into the UFC cage have yielded three victories.
This weekend, Buday makes his second start of 2023 and fourth appearance on the big stage in a pairing with fellow DWCS alum Josh Parisian. The Michigan-based fighter graduated a year earlier than Buday and has struggled to find consistency since touching down on the main roster, alternating losses and wins through his first five outings, and entering this one off a unanimous decision defeat to Jamal Pogues in February.
Saturday’s return to action feels like an opportunity for the big man from Slovakia to potentially make a statement and truly announce his presence on the heavyweight stage. A four-fight winning streak is difficult to come by in any division, and navigating the waters at heavyweight, where one shot can end your night, without stumbling is an achievement, regardless of how Buday has gotten things done.
That being said, it always feels like there is more to Buday than what we’ve seen from him thus far inside the Octagon — he’s a massive human being, a brown belt in jiu jitsu, and looks like a guy that could stop you cold if he let go of his hands a little more — so it will be interesting to see if this pairing sends a message and results in a career-best performance this weekend in Las Vegas.
