Athletes
Mateusz Rebecki | Picking Up Where He Left Off
UFC Lightweight Looks To Continue His Climb Up The Division In Saturday’s Co-Main Event Against Chris Duncan At UFC Fight Night: Taira vs Park
Last October, UFC lightweight Mateusz Rębecki was part of one of the most thrilling three-round fights in UFC history.
At UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi, Rębecki squared off against Myktybek Orolbai in a grueling 15-minute battle that featured a knockdown, takedowns, cuts, blood, swelling and two men showing incredible will and determination to get their hand raised.
In the end, Rębecki edged out a split decision victory to improve his record to 4-1 in the UFC and 20-2 overall as a pro.
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“It was a big lesson because after this, I prove that I’m a really good warrior,” Rębecki said reflecting on his fight with Orolbai. “I think I made very good history for myself, of course.”
Rębecki not only credits his mental strength for pushing him through to the final horn, but also how he approaches his training camp. Rather than sparring every day and entering fight week already in pain, Rębecki pulls things back to ensure he can give 110 percent once the cage door shuts.
“I train different,” Rębecki said. “I train easier, don’t take too many hard punches. After this, you can do more. You can feel more tired but not feel more pain.
“I don’t overload. I try to avoid overtraining. It doesn’t give you good shape, good feeling, good mindset, because you’re exhausted and you don’t have motivation, and you don’t want to be inside the Octagon.”
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While time off was certainly needed after a fight like that, Rębecki’s been eager to step back into the Octagon ever since he left it. He makes his return this Saturday in the co-main event at UFC Fight Night: Taira vs Park.
“I’m really happy because I’ve been waiting 10 months and I would like to kick some ass,” Rębecki said.
As happy as he is to make his first appearance of 2025, challenging Chris Duncan, a teammate of his at American Top Team, may not have been on his bingo card.
“We live together in the same place in the gym dorms,” Rębecki said. “He live [with me] after my war. We share kitchen together. It was a sick situation but a big lesson for me because I know that I’m supposed to train more than him when I watch him.”
Sure, it does make game planning simpler to watch your opponent prepare to fight you from across the gym floor, but it doesn’t make executing any easier. Like Rębecki, Duncan’s won four of his first five fights in the Octagon, and he’s coming off back-to-back guillotine submission wins over Bolaji Oki and Jordan Vucenic.
“Tough guy,” Rębecki said of Duncan. “A lot of powerful kicks, good wrestling. On the ground, only gilly. I think I can use the ground for me. It can be a better part for me than Chris Duncan. It’s difficult because it’s my teammate and I know everything that he does, but still, he has weaknesses, and I would like to use this.”
In terms of expectations for Saturday’s contest, Rębecki pictures something closer resembling his battle at UFC 308 than one of his 10 first-round finishes. But regardless of how he gets the job done, Rębecki believes a win over someone like Duncan sets him up for a promising end to the year in one of the UFC’s most challenging divisions.
“Fireworks,” Rębecki said. “Everything we can do. Submission, knock out each other, wrestling. We are guys who have everything and can show a really good show. We are in the co-main event because the UFC believes in us.
“[A win would] change my life. Probably Top 15, more money, sponsors. I will be a popular guy. I think it will be really good fun after.”
UFC Fight Night: Taira vs Park took place live from UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada on August 2, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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