Athletes
Matt Frevola Feels ‘Complete’
UFC Lightweight And Proud Father Matt Frevola Believes He’s Reaching New Heights As A Fighter And Person Ahead Of His Return To The Octagon At UFC Paris
Just three months ago, UFC lightweight Matt Frevola and his wife welcomed a baby boy, and it’s been an experience that’s profoundly helped Frevola evolve and grow as both a fighter and a person.
On Tuesday, Frevola told UFC.com that he feels “complete.” Raising his son, Cassius, has brought a new level of maturity that has translated into his training in Long Island.
“I’m complete; I’m a father now, I’m a better man for my son, I’m a better man for my family, I’m a better man for my gym, for my training partners, for my team,” Frevola said. “I feel complete now. Before I had my son, I had all this free time and was watching mindless YouTube or doing something stupid, but now I go home and I take care of my son, I take care of my wife. I’m complete now, and I’m a better man for it, and a better fighter, and it’s going to show.”
Order UFC 307: Pereira vs Rountree Jr.
Spending more quality time in the gym can only be beneficial for the Long Island native, who has shared the mat with former UFC champions Aljamain Sterling, Chris Weidman and Matt Serra, as well as current UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili.
“It’s inspiring,” Frevola said. “To watch Merab go out there and win the title, even the way he did; O’Malley couldn’t touch him, it was unbelievable… Watching him do it, watching Aljo do it, watching Weidman do it, seeing Serra do it, all guys from Long Island, it’s inspiring.”
Training in such an accomplished environment and having his son to go home to between sessions has given Frevola all the inspiration and motivation he needs to elevate his game to the next level.
“It’s been awesome,” Frevola said of being a father. “We got a good baby, we got lucky. He’s a good boy. When he was first born, I was waking up in the middle of the night to feed him and make sure he was eating everything, but now he’s sleeping through the night. In between training I just get to go home and get back to his smiling face and it makes everything a lot better.”
Get Ready For UFC's Return To Paris With Our Fight By Fight Preview!
“My son was born three months ago, so I’ve been just figuring out how to be a parent, how to be a dad. I was waiting for my father instincts to kick in, which they did. I’m always training, I’m always in the gym helping my team and training hard. We pushed for this fight in Paris. I really wanted to come out here and fight out here.”
Frevola began his professional mixed martial arts career with a grappling base, which propelled him to a 6-0 start, including three submission wins. Recently, however, it’s been a different story. Between January 2022 and May 2023, Frevola finished three consecutive opponents by first-round knockout.
Highlight: Matt Frevola Steamrolls Genaro Valdez In First-Round TKO | UFC 270
Unlock MORE of your inner combat sports fan with UFC Fight Pass! Fighting is what we live for. And no one brings you MORE live fights, new shows, and events across multiple combat sports from around the world. With a never-ending supply of fighting in every discipline, there’s always something new to watch. Leave it to the world’s authority in MMA to bring you the Ultimate 24/7 platform for MORE combat sports, UFC Fight Pass!
Highlight: Matt Frevola Steamrolls Genaro Valdez In First-Round TKO | UFC 270
/
“It’s the godfather of MMA, Ray Longo,” Frevola said, crediting Longo with his evolution as a striker. “He wanted me to dial in on my boxing, and once I started dialing in my boxing I got three first-round knockouts in a row, so I’ll always give that credit to him. I don’t forget my roots. I started as a grappler, I love jiu-jitsu, I love wrestling. I’m a well-rounded mixed martial artist and I want to remind the world of that.”
MORE UFC PARIS: Co-Main Event Spotlight | Last Time In Paris | Prospect To Watch | Fighters On The Rise
Frevola is now just days away from his first fight in over 10 months at UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs Saint Denis, where he’ll take on France native Farès Ziam in Paris. Ziam has won three straight inside the Octagon, with victories over Michal Figlak, Jai Herbert and Claudio Puelles.
“He’s good, and he’s another guy coming into his own,” Frevola said. “He got into the UFC very young and he’s now 27 years old; he’s grown up in the Octagon. I’m expecting the best version of Farès because he’s gonna get the best version of ‘SteamRolla’ and it’s just going to make fireworks for the French people.”
UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs Saint Denis took place live from Accor Arena in Paris, France on September 28, 2024. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
Tags
