UFC 288 Prelims: Matt Frevola Prevails in Firefight Against Drew Dober

STEAMROLLA DID THAT 👊 #UFC288 pic.twitter.com/isFkRr6lqe

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) May 7, 2023

Matt Frevola went toe-to-toe with Drew Dober and got the best of the encounter.

The Dana White’s Contender Series alum added to his highlight reel with an explosive technical knockout victory against Dober in the UFC 288 featured prelim at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Saturday night. Frevola (11-3-1, 5-3-1 UFC) dropped his adversary with a counter right hand to the chin and then sealed the victory by swarming with ground-and-pound 4:08 into Round 1. Frevola has finished three straight fights in UFC competition.

Related » UFC 288 Round-by-Round Scoring

Frevola enjoyed success early behind a steady diet of straight right hands and kicks to the body. Dober took a little longer to find his range, but he was beginning to land more impactful offense before the fight-ending exchange occurred. When Dober attacked the body with a left, Frevola capitalized with a devastating counter. From there, Frevola unloaded with nearly 20 unanswered punches and hammerfists before Herb Dean waved off the fight. Though Dober protested the stoppage, his bloodied visage told a different story.

Nzechukwu Rallies, Submits Clark

Kennedy Nzechukwu earned his third consecutive finish in UFC competition, as he submitted Devin Clark in a wild light heavyweight clash. “The African Assassin” choked his opponent unconscious with a standing guillotine 2:28 into the second frame. Five of Nzechukwu’s six promotional triumphs have occurred inside the distance.

Clark (14-8, 8-8 UFC) struck the fight’s first significant blow when he wobbled Nzechukwu with a right hand in Round 1. “Brown Bear” flurried with punches and elbows on his reeling opponent against the fence, but Nzechukwu (12-3, 6-3 UFC) covered up well and survived the assault. Clark fatigued when the finish didn’t arrive, and Nzechukwu nearly put his foe away with a flurry of elbows against the fence before the end of the round.

Nzechukwu remained on the offensive in the second round, and he locked in the fight-ending maneuver when Clark attempted to change levels for a takedown.

Williams Edges Newcomer Bedoya

Kalinn Williams got all he could handle from Octagon debutante Rolando Bedoya, winning a split decision in a welterweight scrap. Judges Dominic Carolei and Michael Bell scored the bout 29-28 — both for Williams — while Derek Cleary saw it 30-27 in favor of Bedoya, who suffered defeat for the first time since July 15, 2015. Williams has won three of his last four UFC outings dating back to June 2021.

“Khaos” made a strong impression with periodic bursts of forward movement, which he would follow with a barrage of power punches. Meanwhile, Bedoya (14-2, 0-1 UFC) kept his cool when Williams (14-3, 5-2 UFC) blitzed forward, and he demonstrated intelligent movement and countering ability during exchanges. As time progressed, the Peru native also racked up points with his jab and hindered his foe’s movement with a battery of leg kicks. Still, it was Williams’ who connected with more impact during exchanges, and that was ultimately what made the difference on the scorecards.

Jandiroba Grounds Rodriguez

Ex-Invicta Fighting Championships title holder Virna Jandiroba relied on her grappling to carry her to a unanimous decision triumph against Marina Rodriguez in a matchup of strawweight contenders. Jandiroba (19-3, 5-3 UFC) received scorecards of 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27 to win for the third time in her last four outings. Rodriguez (16-3-2, 6-3-2 UFC), meanwhile, has lost back-to-back fights after compiling a four-bout winning streak in the promotion from January 2021 to March 2022.

Jandiroba landed takedowns, advanced to dominant positions and threatened with submissions as she racked up valuable control time against her striking-minded foe. Jandiroba also sliced her opponent open with elbows from above in Round 2. Rodriguez did some of her best work in the final period, as she landed punching combinations, leaping knees and upkicks from her back. However, the muay thai stylist was unable to keep the fight at her preferred range long enough to make a serious dent in her opponent’s lead.

Porter Pounds Out Smith

Parker Porter overwhelmed promotional newcomer Braxton Smith, winning via first-round technical knockout in a heavyweight showdown. Porter, who took the bout on short notice, ended the fight with a hailstorm of punches and hammerfists from mount at the 2:10 mark of the period. It was the first finish in seven UFC appearances for Porter (13-8, 4-3 UFC).

Smith (5-2, 0-1 UFC) came out swinging heavy leather, but that approach quickly took its toll on his gas tank. After Porter landed a knee to the midsection, a fast-fading Smith attempted a half-hearted takedown. Porter stuffed the shot with ease, moved to a dominant position and unloaded until referee Gary Copeland stepped in to save Smith.

Aliskerov Sleeps Hawes

Brave Combat Federation veteran Ikram Aliskerov had an Octagon debut to remember, as he knocked out Phil Hawes in a middleweight clash. The Dagestani ended the contest ">with a beautiful right hand 2:10 into Round 1. Aliskerov (14-1, 1-0 UFC) has won his last six professional outings.

Hawes started well, connecting with kicks to the body and lead right hooks. His willingness to exchange came back to haunt him when he ducked into a head kick from his opponent. Though Hawes maintained his footing, his reactions were much slower from that point on. That eventually allowed Aliskerov to connect with the fight-ending blow, and Hawes went out immediately once it connected, his right leg briefly folding under him as he crumpled to the canvas. Hawes has lost three of his last four UFC appearances — all via knockout.

Ribeiro Garners First UFC Win

Former Future FC title holder Claudio Ribeiro secured his first promotional triumph with a technical knockout victory against Joseph Holmes in a middleweight encounter. A barrage of standing-to-ground punches from Ribeiro (11-3, 1-1 UFC) ended the contest 3:21 into Round 2. Ribeiro has finished all 11 of his wins by knockout or technical knockout.

Ribeiro shifted momentum late in the opening round, when he landed a takedown and moved to mount. From there, the Brazilian unloaded with ground-and-pound, and Holmes (8-4, 1-3 UFC) only survived the onslaught because the bell saved him. Ribeiro kept it going in the second stanza, as he punched his way into the clinch and dropped his foe with a close quarters knee. Holmes, who missed weight by three pounds on Friday, could only cover up as Ribeiro unleashed the finishing salvo.