His greatest triumph was arguably his win on home soil over Frank Mir at UFC 38. The heavy underdog, Freeman lived up to his nickname as he systematically ground Mir down and broke his spirit, winning a first round stoppage in front of the English crowd. The match was bittersweet for Freeman, having dedicated the match to his father who, unbeknown to him, had died of cancer the day before. Victory gave Freeman the chance to make his mark on the UFC Heavyweight division but his next fight saw him stopped by Andrei Arlovski. Seven months later, a draw against Vernon White signalled the end of Freeman's second stint in UFC and led to his return to the British MMA scene.