Matt Frevola predicts "dog fight" against Fares Ziam at UFC Paris: "He will finally have an exciting fight"

UFC lightweight Matt Frevola is returning to the Octagon after a year-long hiatus at UFC Paris. He'll be facing Frenchman Fares Ziam this Saturday. Frevola, known for his aggressive fighting approach, is aiming for a finish against Ziam.

Appearing on the Just Scrap Radio, 'Steamrolla' said:

"A lot of [his wins] have been close, but he's been able to get the W. He's a smart, intelligent striker and uses his high fight IQ to squeak out those wins. But, that's not how I fight, I go in there looking for the finish. If he thinks he's going to be skating and landing his jab and making it boring, that is not how I fight. He will finally have an exciting fight, fighting me."

Despite his aggressive intentions, Frevola acknowledges Ziam's intelligence and plans to fight strategically:

“It’s going to be a fight. He will try and outpoint me, and I’m going to come in there and look to finish him. I’m well-rounded, I can wrestle, I can strike, good jiu-jitsu and I plan on using all my weapons against him. It’s not going to be a pretty kickboxing fight like he wants. It’s going to be a dog fight.” [H/t:BJPenn]

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A look into Matt Frevola’s career in the UFC so far

Matt Frevola has had mixed results since joining the promotion in 2018. Frevola's UFC journey began with a loss to Polo Reyes in his debut. However, he quickly bounced back with a draw against Lando Vannata and a unanimous decision win over Jalin Turner. Frevola continued his momentum with split decision victories over Luis Peña and Roosevelt Roberts, solidifying his position in the UFC.

Unfortunately, Frevola's winning streak ended in 2021, as he lost to Arman Tsarukyan, Terrance McKinney, and Ottman Azaitar. Despite these setbacks, Frevola remained determined and returned to winning ways with impressive victories over Genaro Valdéz and Drew Dober.

Frevola's most recent fight was against Benoît Saint-Denis at UFC 295 in November 2023, and he lost by knockout. It remains to be seen whether the fighter will be able to regain his winning ways in his upcoming fight at UFC Fight Night in Paris.