Matt Frevola couldn’t have picked a better opponent for his return to Madison Square Garden.
Frevola is set to take on Ottman Azaitar who is an opponent the ‘Steamrolla’ has wanted to fight for quite some time. The two were booked to face one another at UFC 257 on Fight Island, but after Azaitar snuck a bag and people into the hotel, he was released from the promotion.
“Honestly, it doesn’t get bigger than MSG. I was ready to fight whoever at MSG, but the opponent a guy that I really wanted to beat up it makes it that much sweeter,” Frevola said on Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com.
Although Azaitar was released, he was eventually brought back and once he was, he was among the highest-tested athletes by USADA. With that, Frevola is excited to take on Azaitar and give him the beating he deserves.
“It was weird, man. I didn’t think I’d get the shot to fight him because Dana White cut him that day,” Frevola said. “As soon as I heard they let him back in the UFC, I was like I’m going to get that one back. I owe that dude an ass beating.”
Entering the scrap at UFC 281, Matt Frevola knows Ottman Azaitar is dangerous in the first round. With that, the plan for Frevola is to drag Azaitar into deep waters and eventually get the stoppage win. But, Frevola wants to prolong the beating to really make Azaitar pay for their fight cancellation in Abu Dhabi.
“I’ll never say I don’t want a first-round finish or a first-round knockout. I go in there to finish my opponents. But, I do want to drag this guy into deep water and I want to feel him break,” Frevola explained. “That is what I’m looking forward to when I’m on top of him and feel his will break and can smell the finish… I’m due for a choke, it’s been a while, I love jiu-jitsu. I’d love to choke this guy’s head off, but again, a finish is a finish, I love knockouts, I love submissions but I really love finishing fights.”
If Frevola does get the stoppage win he’s after, he isn’t sure where that puts him in the division. Instead, he says he just wants to be active in 2023 and start working his way near the rankings.
“It just keeps me winning and keeps me moving up,” Frevola said. “It’s always one fight at a time for me. Anything can happen in this sport. I’m looking to get a big win at MSG for my home crowd and we reassess and go from there. I’m looking to stay busy and get a lot of fights in this year.”
Do you think Matt Frevola will beat Ottman Azaitar at UFC 281?