If there was a fight on the UFC 288 card that absolutely screamed “Fight of the Night” at the top of its lungs until hoarse, it was very much Drew Dober vs. Matt Frevola.
The lightweight match-up was exceptionally fan friendly on paper, with Frevola entering off two straight finishes, and Dober having collected five post-fight bonuses in his past seven fights.
It did not disappoint. Though ultimately it was likely too short to be considered for Fight of the Night. A Performance bonus? Much more likely.
Saturday’s featured prelim opened with a Frevola body kick, something he went back to about 30 seconds later. He fanned on a high kick, but connected with the right hand that trailed it. Dober found the mark himself a moment later; Frevola landed a couple of knees to the body when they clinched up. Hard hitting an electric through the first 90 seconds, as advertised.
Dober opted to mix things up by going to the body, but he was also sporting a bloodied nose just two minutes into the first round. Frevola circled on the outside; Dober caught him, and later landed another body shot. Those ran the risk of adding up if the “Steamrolla” Frevola wasn’t careful. While Dober was getting the better of things as the round wore on, Frevola just missed with a sharp head kick.
Then, with a minute to go, Matt Frevola connected with a thunderous right hand! Dober dropped, and Matt Frevola got on top. Dober survived for a moment, but Frevola unleashed the ground n’ pound, battering a bloodied Drew Dober until ref Herb Dean made the call.
No better feeling 🙌 #UFC288 pic.twitter.com/47kzPpgYJu
— UFC (@ufc) May 7, 2023
Following the win, Frevola called out Paddy Pimblett, noting that both were on similar win streaks. He then polled the crowd, who were definitely in favor of the match-up.
Official Result: Matt Frevola def. Drew Dober by TKO, Round 1, 4:08
