Matt Frevola

Overview

Every one of Matt Frevola's UFC wins by knockout came in the first round, and every one of his knockout losses but one came there too. He fights short, loud lightweight bouts, and the 5-6-1 UFC record reflects that.

"The SteamRolla" fights out of LAW MMA and has been in the UFC since 2017. His overall professional record across all promotions is 11-6-1. He is not a champion, and he enters his next fight on a three-fight losing streak.

UFC Career

Frevola's route to the UFC ran through Dana White's Contender Series, where he beat Luke Flores by submission in the second round. That fight is a professional win, not part of his UFC record. His first UFC outing went badly: Marco Polo Reyes stopped him in the first round at 1:00 in January 2018.

He bounced back with a majority-decision draw against Lando Vannata, then won back-to-back decisions over Jalin Turner (unanimous) and Luis Pena (split). Then came two losses, a unanimous decision to Arman Tsarukyan and a seven-second knockout loss to Terrance McKinney in the first round of their 2021 fight.

The best stretch of his UFC run followed. Frevola knocked out Genaro Valdez and Ottman Azaitar, both in round one, then added a first-round stoppage of Drew Dober, who rates as a strong opponent in our model. That made three straight finishes, his longest win streak.

The streak ended at UFC 295, where Benoit Saint Denis, another strong opponent, finished him in the first round at 1:31. Two more losses followed: a third-round knockout against Farès Ziam and a unanimous decision to Kyle Nelson.

Three wins, three finishes, and then three straight losses.

Fighting Style

Frevola is a grappler first. He shoots for takedowns often and hunts for submissions more than most fighters in the UFC. He is also hard to hit, but he gets taken down more than most, and his strikes don't land at a high rate when he throws them.

The finish pattern says more than the grappling numbers do. All three of his UFC wins by stoppage came by knockout in round one, and none came by submission, despite how often he hunts for them. Four of his six losses came by knockout, so fights that didn't go the distance have more often ended against him than for him.

Notable Wins

• Drew Dober — KO/TKO, round 1 (4:08), UFC 288 (2023)
• Ottman Azaitar — KO/TKO, round 1 (2:30), UFC 281 (2022)
• Genaro Valdez — KO/TKO, round 1 (3:15), UFC 270 (2022)
• Jalin Turner — unanimous decision, UFC 236 (2019)

Quick Facts

• Division: Lightweight
• UFC record: 5-6-1
• Professional record (all promotions): 11-6-1
• UFC debut: 2018 (after a 2017 Contender Series win)
• Stance: Orthodox
• Height / reach: 5'9" / 71"
• Team: LAW MMA
• Born: Huntington, NY, United States