Matthew Kenneth Frevola (born June 11, 1990) is an American professional

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...

currently competing in the

Lightweight Lightweight is a weight class in combat sports and rowing (sport), rowing. Boxing Professional boxing The lightweight division is over 130 pounds (59 kilograms) and up to 135 pounds (61.2 kilograms) boxing weight classes, weight class in the spor ...

division of the

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter (entertainment), promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor ( ...

(UFC). A professional since 2014, he has also competed for the

World Series of Fighting The Professional Fighters League (PFL) is an American mixed martial arts league founded by venture capitalist Donn Davis in 2017 and launched in 2018, following the acquisition and restructuring of the former World Series of Fighting (WSOF) promot ...

and Titan FC.

Background

Born and raised on

Long Island, New York Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...

, Frevola began competing in sports from a young age; he played

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

lacrosse Lacrosse is a contact team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game w ...

wrestling Wrestling is a martial art, combat sport, and form of entertainment that involves grappling with an opponent and striving to obtain a position of advantage through different throws or techniques, within a given ruleset. Wrestling involves di ...

, and

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

. Frevola attended

Harborfields High School Harborfields High School is a four-year secondary school located in Greenlawn, New York, United States. It functions as the sole high school for Harborfields Central School District, encompassing the communities of Centerport and Greenlawn al ...

, where he started wrestling and also picked up Brazilian jiu-jitsu during high school. Frevola then attended the

Reserve Officers' Training Corps The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC; or ) is a group of college- and university-based officer-training programs for training commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces. While ROTC graduate officers serve in all branches o ...

program of

University of Tampa The University of Tampa (UTampa, UT or Tampa U) is a private university in Tampa, Florida. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. UTampa offers more than 200 programs of study, including 19 master's degrees and a br ...

. Frevola is a lieutenant in the

United States Army Reserve The United States Army Reserve (USAR) is a Military reserve force, reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the Army element of the reserve components of the United States Armed ...

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Frevola compiled an undefeated amateur record of 8–0 from 2011 to 2014, when he made his professional debut. Winning his first five professional bouts, he was selected to compete on Dana White's Contender Series 8 on August 29, 2017. Frevola defeated 7–0 Jose Flores via second-round submission and was awarded a UFC contract.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Frevola made his promotional debut against Polo Reyes at UFC Fight Night: Stephens vs. Choi on January 14, 2018. He lost via first-round knockout. Frevola faced Lando Vannata on November 3, 2018, at UFC 230. The bout ended in a majority draw. Frevola faced Jalin Turner on April 13, 2019 at UFC 236. He won the fight by unanimous decision. As the first fight of his four-fight contract, Frevola faced Luis Peña on October 12, 2019, at UFC Fight Night 161. He won the fight via split decision. Frevola was expected to face Roosevelt Roberts on April 25, 2020. However, on April 9,

Dana White Dana Frederick White Jr. (born July 28, 1969) is an American businessman who is the CEO and president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a global mixed martial arts organization. In August 2019, White's net worth was estimated at . Out ...

, the president of UFC announced that the event would be postponed to a future date. Instead, Frevola was set to face Frank Camacho on June 20, 2020, at UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Volkov, however, on June 18, it was revealed that Frevola was pulled from the bout after one of his cornermen tested positive for

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

. A bout with Roosevelt Roberts was rescheduled for UFC Fight Night 177 on September 12, 2020. However, Frevola pulled out of the bout against Roberts on September 11, 2020, citing an injury. He was replaced by newcomer Kevin Croom. Frevola was expected to face Ottman Azaitar on January 24, 2021, at UFC 257. However, on the day of the weigh-ins it was announced that Azaitar was pulled from the bout after it was determined that he had violated COVID-19 health and safety protocols. In turn, Azaitar was removed from the UFC's designated safety zone on Yas Island and released from the promotion. As a result, the promotion negotiated a matchup between Frevola and Arman Tsarukyan (whose original opponent had also been removed from the card) to keep both fighters on the card. Subsequently, Tsarukyan forfeited 20% of his purse as a result of missing weight, which went to Frevola. Frevola lost the fight via unanimous decision. Frevola was again scheduled to face Frank Camacho on June 12, 2021, at UFC 263. However, Camacho pulled out of the fight during the week leading up to the event after he was involved in a traffic accident in

Orange County, California Orange County (officially the County of Orange; often initialized O.C.) is a county (United States), county located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area in Southern California, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population ...

that left him with non-life threatening injuries to his back and neck. In turn, Frevola faced promotional newcomer Terrance McKinney instead. Frevola lost the fight via knockout 7 seconds into the first round. For the last fight of his prevailing contract, Frevola faced Genaro Valdéz on January 22, 2022, at

UFC 270 ''UFC 270: Ngannou vs. Gane'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on January 22, 2022, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Background A UFC Heavyweight Championship title unificat ...

. After knocking down Valdéz multiple times, Frevola won the fight via technical knockout in round one. The bout between Frevola and Ottman Azaitar was rescheduled for November 12, 2022 at UFC 281. He won the fight via knockout in the first round. Frevola faced Drew Dober on May 6, 2023, at UFC 288. He won the fight by TKO at the end of the first round. This win earned him the '' Performance of the Night'' award. Frevola faced Benoît Saint-Denis on November 11, 2023 at UFC 295. He lost the fight via knockout in the first round. Frevola faced Farès Ziam on September 28, 2024 at UFC Fight Night 243. He lost the fight by knockout in the third round after taking a knee to the face.

Personal life

Frevola graduated from

with a bachelor's degree in

Criminology Criminology (from Latin , 'accusation', and Ancient Greek , ''-logia'', from λόγος ''logos'', 'word, reason') is the interdisciplinary study of crime and deviant behaviour. Criminology is a multidisciplinary field in both the behaviou ...

. Frevola is a member of the United States Army Reserves as an Engineer Officer.

Championships and accomplishments

** Performance of the Night (One time)

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 11–5–1 , Farès Ziam , KO (knee) , UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs. Saint Denis , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:59 ,

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, France , , - , Loss , align=center, 11–4–1 , Benoît Saint-Denis , KO (head kick) , UFC 295 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:31 ,

New York City, New York New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on New York Harbor, one of the world's largest natural harb ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–3–1 , Drew Dober , TKO (punches) , UFC 288 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:08 ,

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, most populous City (New Jersey), city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, the county seat of Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, and a principal city of the New York metropolitan area. ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, , Ottman Azaitar , KO (punch) , UFC 281 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:30 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–3–1 , Genaro Valdéz , TKO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:15 ,

Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States, part of the Greater Los Angeles area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orang ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 8–3–1 , Terrance McKinney , KO (punches) , UFC 263 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:07 ,

Glendale, Arizona Glendale () is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. Located about nine miles northwest of the state capital Phoenix, Glendale is known for State Farm Stadium, which is the home of the Arizona Cardinals football team. The city al ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 8–2–1 , Arman Tsarukyan , Decision (unanimous) , UFC 257 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates. The city is the seat of the Abu Dhabi Central Capital District, the capital city of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and the UAE's List of cities in the United Arab Emirates, second-most popu ...

, United Arab Emirates , , - , Win , align=center, 8–1–1 , Luis Peña , Decision (split) , UFC Fight Night: Joanna vs. Waterson , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Tampa, Florida Tampa ( ) is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. Tampa's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and t ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–1–1 , Jalin Turner , Decision (unanimous) , UFC 236 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

, United States , , - , Draw , align=center, 6–1–1 , Lando Vannata , Draw (majority) , UFC 230 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 6–1 , Polo Reyes , KO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: Stephens vs. Choi , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:00 ,

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–0 , Jose Flores , Submission (arm-triangle choke) , Dana White's Contender Series 8 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:32 ,

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–0 , Raush Manfio , Decision (unanimous) , Titan FC 43 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Coral Gables, Florida Coral Gables is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The city is part of the Miami metropolitan area of South Florida and is located southwest of Greater Downtown Miami, Downtown Miami. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Trent McDade , Submission (guillotine choke) , Real FC 37 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:55 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Emmanuel Ramirez , Decision (unanimous) , Absolute FC 25 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Coconut Creek, Florida Coconut Creek is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. Situated north of Miami, it had an estimated population of 57,348 in 2022. It is part of South Florida's Fort Lauderdale metropolitan area. The city seceded from Pompano Beach ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Mike D'Angelo , KO (punch) , Real FC 35 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:46 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Josh Zuckerman , Submission (triangle armbar) , WSOF 15 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:50 ,

, United States ,

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Frevola, Matt 1990 births Living people American male mixed martial artists Lightweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing wrestling Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Mixed martial artists from New York (state) Sportspeople from Huntington, New York University of Tampa alumni Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu 21st-century American sportsmen