A fight more than a year in the making, Matt Frevola and Ottman Azaitar finally got to throw down at UFC 281 on Saturday.
The lightweight duo were supposed to meet on Fight Island in January 2021, but Azaitar’s infamous “bag incident” resulted in him nearly being cut from the promotion. While he was given a second chance, Azaitar had not fought since.
Frevola, for his part, came into the fight off a January 2022 victory against Genaro Valdez.
The fired up New Yorker, Frevola, started on the front foot with a few high kick attempts. His first five attempted strikes were all kicks, slowly followed by a 1-2. Azaitar began letting his hands go just over a minute into the fight but only managed to briefly land.
After a quick exchange, Frevola landed a quick check left hook. Frevola began putting on some more forward pressure and initiated a clinch exchange with the Moroccan. After exiting the clinch, Frevola landed back-to-back right hands, followed by a blistering left hook, turning Azaitar’s lights off completely.
THE STEAMROLLA LIVED UP TO HIS NAME 👊 #UFC281 pic.twitter.com/sqp1zvq4HU
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) November 13, 2022
“Steamrolla” does exactly what he says on the tin. Brings the pressure. Frevola lands as the third underdog of the night so far to pick up the win.
Official Result: Matt Frevola def. Ottman Azaitar by KO, Round 1, 2:30
