Dana White’s Plan to Rebuild Tom Aspinall’s Division Falls Flat as UFC Qatar Opens With a Stinker
In the UFC heavyweight division, Tom Aspinall has set a standard that only a few seem able to match. Ciryl Gane certainly put on a competitive performance at UFC 322, and there are other heavyweights like Waldo Cortes Acosta and Valter Walker who are climbing their way toward a shot at him. Still, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Dana White has struggled with depth in the 265 lbs division, and at UFC Qatar, that problem became even more apparent.
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The promotion’s debut in Doha Fight Night was marked by two heavyweight promotional debutants, Marek Bujło and Denzel Freeman, clashing for three rounds. And although fans expected a barn burner to start the show, it fell flat as both big boys looked a bit too gun-shy and barely did anything to actually steal the attention. In the middle of their fight, the crowd started booing, and in the end, Freeman took the win via unanimous decision.
Ahead of UFC Qatar, the fans really had high hopes for this fight, especially because both UFC debutant heavyweights carried pretty decent records that suggested they were capable of putting on a show for the audience. The Polish fighter, Marek Bujło, came in undefeated with all his 6 wins by finish, and tonight marked the first time he went to a decision—and lost. On the other side, Denzel Freeman has 4 KO/TKO wins on his record as well. So the UFC expecting a show from both debutants wasn’t a far-fetched ask.
However, as both fighters looked to secure a victory on the biggest stage in MMA, did they actually play it safe instead of making a statement? If so, the UFC CEO might have a problem, especially as he’s trying to bring back excitement to the biggest division in his company. It’s also noteworthy that he already fired Hamdy Abdelwahab, and Chris Barnett was also released from the company after their lackluster performances at UFC 321. So the UFC Qatar opener not delivering has only increased the problem with the depth of the division.
Understanding that his performance wasn’t up to the mark, Denzel Freeman still believes he has enough room to improve as he moves forward in the promotion, humbly admitting that his opponent didn’t capitalize on the mistakes he made.
Denzel Freeman is optimistic about growing after UFC Qatar victory
Well, it’s true that the debutant fighters haven’t impressed most of the fans and, most probably, Dana White with their performance. But it’s also important to notice that both fought in the Middle East, far from home, which might have impacted the way they approached the fight, as they didn’t want to go back empty-handed. At least the victor of the opening UFC Qatar bout, Denzel Freeman, opened up about fighting in the Middle East.
In the post-fight interview with the UFC, Luke Fox said, “Because like for some reason, a lot of people go through this, doing wrestling and fighting. Like we do all this training, and during the week of the competition, I just wanna get this over with, so there’s like I could go home, I could rest. I don’t have to worry about getting on a plane and being sad.”
After Freeman spoke about his experience fighting in Qatar, he also had a self-reflective take on his performance against Marek Bujło, claiming that he definitely made some mistakes that his opponent didn’t capitalize on, vowing to grow from here.
He added, “I really do hope I build forward. I hope I don’t get complacent, I hope I stay humble, and I hope I learn from my mistakes. Because there are mistakes that I made that luckily my opponent didn’t capitalize on, but the right guy will.”
Now, as Freeman picks up his first victory, who do you think he should face next in his next bout? Let us know in the comments section below.
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