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Check out the best photos from Matt Frevola’s first-round knockout win over Ottman Azaitar at UFC 281 at Madison Square Garden.
Check out the best photos from [autotag]Matt Frevola[/autotag]’s first-round knockout win over [autotag]Ottman Azaitar[/autotag] at UFC 281 at Madison Square Garden in New York. (Photos by Jessica Alcheh, USA TODAY Sports)
Who better to “humble” Ottmain Azaitar than Matt Frevola?
NEW YORK – [autotag]Matt Frevola[/autotag] spoke to reporters at media day ahead of UFC 281.
Frevola (9-3-1 MMA, 3-3-1 UFC) meets unbeaten [autotag]Ottman Azaitar[/autotag] (13-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) on Saturday in a rebooking from their scrapped bout at UFC 257. Frevola was scheduled to face Azaitar in January 2021, but Azaitar was pulled from the matchup and briefly cut by the UFC for breaching COVID-19 safety protocols.
“This guy is undefeated, and I’m gonna give him his first loss,” Frevola told reporters, including MMA Junkie. “This guy needs to be humbled and who better to humble him than me?”
He continued, “As soon as I heard they signed him back to the UFC, I knew I wanted that fight back, because I love the matchup, and I wanted this fight, and we got it. We got it on the biggest stage in the world, Madison Square Garden.”
UFC 281 takes place Saturday at Madison Square Garden. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and early prelims on ESPN+.
Watch the video of Frevola’s complete pre-fight media availability above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 281.
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Ottman Azaitar can’t escape questions about his bag incident in Abu Dhabi, but he is having fun with his responses.
NEW YORK – [autotag]Ottman Azaitar[/autotag] cannot escape questions about his incident ahead of UFC 257.
Since the moment in January 2021 that led to his release from the UFC, Azaitar (13-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has faced repeated questions about the infamous bag that was left on his hotel balcony on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi.
Ahead of his scheduled bout against Matt Frevola at UFC 281 at Madison Square Garden, Azaitar responded to more questions about the incident with laughter and superhero-themed hypothetical scenarios.
“Why this big secret around this bag?” Azaitar rebutted at Wednesday’s media day. “It’s not a ‘Mission Impossible’ movie. … If I wanted to sneak something in, I could have done it without the Mission Impossible or sending Spider-Man to give Batman something, and Ant-Man make small, big, and Superman from up and however. You know?”
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Azaitar did not speak on Frevola (9-3-1 MMA, 3-3-1 UFC), who was the same opponent he was set to face at UFC 257, but he did address the relief of being able to return to training after injuries and being welcomed back into the UFC after everything that took place.
You can watch Azaitar’s full media day interview in the video above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 281.
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Ottman Azaitar’s brief UFC release caused him to become one of the sport’s most drug-tested athletes in 2021.
[autotag]Ottman Azaitar[/autotag]’s brief UFC release caused him to become one of the sport’s most drug-tested athletes in 2021.
In January 2021, Azaitar (13-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) was cut from the UFC for violating COVID-19 health and safety protocols during UFC 257 fight week ahead of his fight with Matt Frevola, which was canceled. The UFC later decided to give the unbeaten Moroccan another chance.
UFC president Dana White said Azaitar’s team got a wristband to someone outside the UFC’s COVID bubble. That person dropped off a bag on their hotel balcony. Azaitar’s manager later revealed it was potatoes in the bag, but when asked in a recent interview with MMA Underground what was inside, Azaitar said he wasn’t even involved.
“It was a really strange story, but to be honest, I was not included at all in this whole story,” Azaitar said. “But it’s OK. I don’t blame anyone for this. It’s no one to blame for, but I was not really responsible for this – especially this thing with the bag.”
The incident caused the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency to keep a close eye on Azaitar, who was tested 26 times in 2021 according to the database. He’s only been tested six times in 2022.
“This cost – that I was the second most tested UFC fighter the last year,” Azaitar said. “Also, USADA was listening to this whole trash, and then, ‘Oh, OK, this guy had something in this bag.’ I don’t know what they expect me to have in this bag. I was worried that they think there was something dangerous, but they were thinking there was some forbidden substances and that’s why I was tested approximately 27 times last year. Very weird.”
Azaitar returns for the first time since September 2020 when he faces Frevola (9-3-1 MMA, 3-3-1 UFC) on Saturday at UFC 281. It’s a rebooking of their matchup that was scrapped at UFC 257.
UFC 281 takes place Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and early prelims on ESPN+.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 281.
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Go inside the numbers of Saturday’s stacked UFC 281 event, where multiple fighters have a chance to make history.
The UFC returns to New York on Saturday for its annual event at Madison Square Garden with UFC 281, which has a main card that airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.
A doubleheader of championship bouts is featured at the top of the card, with middleweight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] (23-1 MMA, 12-1 UFC) set to take on former two-time kickboxing rival [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] (6-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) in the headlining act.
The co-main event will see strawweight champion [autotag]Carla Esparza[/autotag] (19-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) attempt to kick off her second reign in positive fashion when she meets former titleholder [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] (22-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC).
For more on the numbers behind both title bouts, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts for UFC 281.
* * * *
The first time around, Ottman Azaitar vs. Matt Frevola was canceled for one of the more unusual reasons in UFC history.
A bag of potatoes shouldn’t interfere with the matchup between [autotag]Ottman Azaitar[/autotag] and [autotag]Matt Frevola[/autotag] this time around.
The two lightweight fighters will collide Nov. 12 at UFC 281, set for Madison Square Garden in New York. The fight comes 22 months after they were initially expected to face off at UFC 257 in Abu Dhabi.
Frevola announced the booking Saturday on social media in … creative fashion.
🚨 🚨FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENT🚨 🚨
👨🍳 🗽🥔 🩸 😂 pic.twitter.com/1GM5ShGnND
— Matt “The Steamrolla”Frevola (@SteamRollaa) August 20, 2022
In January 2021, the UFC had COVID-19 protocols that included a testing bubble. When Azaitar and his team snuck out of the bubble to retrieve a bag, he was caught by UFC staffers. The promotion later canceled the fight.
Initially, UFC president Dana White told MMA Junkie’ Farah Hannoun he was unhappy with the breach of safety protocols and that Azaitar would never fight in the UFC again.
“He and his team cut their wristbands off and got them to people on the outside, one guy,” White said. “This guy got inside the bubble, went in through a room, shimmied down four balconies, went in through (Azaitar’s) balcony, and dropped off a bag of we don’t know what. Then he changed his clothes and went back outside of the bubble. We got everything on camera, we saw the whole thing, and how it all went down, pulled his fight and cut him.”
White ultimately changed his mind and Azaitar was not released.
Due to the unusual nature of the situation, fight fans speculated in the weeks that followed what was in the bag. Eventually, Azaitar’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, said that potatoes were in the bag.
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Azaitar (13-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) hasn’t competed since the incident. His most recent fight was in September 2020. His two UFC wins to date were first-round knockouts against Teemu Packalen and Khama Worthy. Eleven of his 13 professional victories have come inside the distance.
In January, Frevola (9-3-1 MMA, 3-3-1 UFC) bounced back from a two-fight skid when he dropped UFC newcomer Genaro Valdez four times before he finished the fight with strikes in Round 1. In the months that followed, Frevola campaigned for a fight against Paddy Pimblett but then changed his tune and lobbied for a bout in his home state of New York instead. His second wish has come true.
With the addition, the UFC 281 lineup includes:
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Never would’ve guessed Ottman Azaitar nearly lost his UFC career over a bag of potatoes.
[autotag]Ottman Azaitar[/autotag] made a brief appearance at UFC 259 media day on Wednesday. According to multiple reporters in attendance, Azaitar entered the room at the UFC Apex where interviews took place, said hello, laughed and pointed at a bag, then ran out.
Think maybe he feels good about his new lease on UFC life?
We all thought Azaitar was no longer on the UFC roster after he violated COVID-19 protocols by trying to smuggle a bag into the “Fight Island” bubble on Jan. 22. Later that day, UFC president Dana White said Azaitar had been cut for his actions, which involved giving his wristband to a guy who “shimmied down four balconies” in an attempt to get the bag to Azaitar.
Just about a month later, on Feb. 20, it was revealed that White had a change of heart and decided to give Azaitar second chance. So now he remains a UFC fighter.
But what was in the bag? That’s been the big mystery ever since this wild story came to light. Well, we finally found out from Azaitar’s manager, Dominance MMA’s Ali Abdelaziz, in an interview with Yahoo! Sports’ Kevin Iole.
“Potatoes,” Abdelaziz said with a straight face. “Potatoes. It was potatoes in the bag.”
Potatoes? This only raises more questions: Were they sweet potatoes? Yukon golds? Russet? What kind of potatoes are we talking about here? And what was their purpose? Why were these potatoes so important that you’d risk your UFC career?
Potatoes, huh? Never would’ve guessed that.
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Abdelaziz went on to clarify further how Azaitar, who’s 13-0 overall with two first-round knockouts in his first two UFC fights, was never actually released.
“He didn’t lose the job,” Abdelaziz said. “At the end of the day, it was almost like an investigation. Dana looked over it. He’s a great kid. Everybody loves him. All the UFC staff loves him. Some people got involved. Dana was involved. Listen, when you have Dana White himself handling certain situations, it’s a serious situation. At the end of the day, if they find out whatever they think he did or didn’t do, he’s a good enough person to get a second shot. He got a second shot at it, and he’s looking to get a fight right now.
“He’s a UFC fighter. He was never cut officially from the UFC. Let’s remember when you have media start asking about stuff, Dana wears his heart on his sleeve. Nobody can violate the bubble. I don’t think everything that happened was intentional. At the end of the day, it’s over. I’m not saying who’s wrong or who’s right. Dana thankfully brought him back, and everything is good.”
I still can’t get over how this was all about potatoes.
The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.
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UFC president Dana White had previously said Ottman Azaitar would be released following a COVID-19 protocol breach that involved a mysterious bag.
[autotag]Ottman Azaitar[/autotag] isn’t going anywhere after all.
On Saturday, 29 days after he signaled Azaitar’s UFC tenure was over, UFC president Dana White told ESPN that he’s changed his mind. The UFC will give Azaitar a “second chance.”
Azaitar’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, told ESPN the incident was a “misunderstanding” and thanked White and the UFC for their final decision. According to Abdelaziz, Azaitar never was officially removed from the roster or U.S. Anti-Doping Agency testing pool.
On Jan. 22, news surfaced that Azaitar (13-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) had breached COVID-19 protocol in Abu Dhabi ahead of his scheduled UFC 257 bout vs. Matt Frevola. As a result, his fight was canceled. It was at that time that White said Azaitar was cut from the UFC.
“(Azaitar) and his team cut their wristbands off and got them to people on the outside, one guy,” White told MMA Junkie’s Farah Hannoun as he detailed the alleged incident. “This guy got inside the bubble, went in through a room, shimmied down four balconies, went in through (Azaitar’s) balcony, and dropped off a bag of we don’t know what. Then he changed his clothes and went back outside of the bubble. We got everything on camera, we saw the whole thing, and how it all went down, pulled his fight, and cut him.”
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Azaitar, 31, is undefeated as a professional. His resume includes two UFC victories – both by first-round knockout. In his promotional debut, Azaitar blasted Teemu Packalen with a massive, fight-ending overhand right. In his sophomore promotional outing in September, Azaitar finished Khama Worthy with punches in 93 seconds.
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Ottman Azaitar was caught helping somebody sneak into the bubble on “Fight Island,” according to UFC president Dana White.
[autotag]Ottman Azaitar[/autotag] has been released by the UFC for violating COVID-19 safety protocols on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi.
Azaitar had been scheduled to fight Matt Frevola on Saturday at UFC 257, but did not make it to Friday’s official weigh-ins. The reason was unknown until the UFC announced it was “aware of a recent violation of the health and safety protocols involving” Azaitar, causing the cancellation of his bout.
UFC president Dana White told MMA Junkie’s Farah Hannoun that Azaitar was cut for his actions and offered details on what transpired.
Dana White’s statement on Ottman Azaitar’s release.
Full interview for @UFCarabia: https://t.co/I4vfjmbgFC pic.twitter.com/icpVDTs0uS
— Farah Hannoun (@Farah_Hannoun) January 22, 2021
“He and his team cut their wristbands off and got them to people on the outside, one guy,” White said. “This guy got inside the bubble, went in through a room, shimmied down four balconies, went in through (Azaitar’s) balcony, and dropped off a bag of we don’t know what. Then he changed his clothes and went back outside of the bubble. We got everything on camera, we saw the whole thing, and how it all went down, pulled his fight and cut him.”
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The UFC confirmed that Azaitar was removed from the safety zone on “Fight Island.”
Azaitar, 30, is undefeated overall at 13-0. He was off to a blistering start in the UFC, scoring back-to-back first-round knockouts of Teemu Packalen and Khama Worthy in his first two fights with the promotion, the latter of which took place last September.
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The lightweight main card bout between Ottman Azaitar and Matt Frevola has been removed from the fight card at UFC 257 in Abu Dhabi.
The fight card for UFC 257 just reduced from 12 to 11 with the news that the lightweight bout between [autotag]Ottman Azaitar[/autotag] and [autotag]Matt Frevola[/autotag] has been removed from the lineup for Saturday night’s fights.
Azaitar (13-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) and Frevola (8-1-1 MMA, 2-1-1 UFC) were scheduled to face off on the pay-per-view main card of the event, which takes place Saturday at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.
However, news emerged during Friday’s official weigh-in session that the bout had been scratched from the card. Frevola arrived and duly made weight (155.5 pounds) in anticipation of a potential replacement opponent being found, but UFC officials subsequently released a statement confirming the cancellation of the bout. No reason was given for the bout’s removal, however.
As a result of the cancellation, the middleweight bout between Makhmud Muradov and Andrew Sanchez has been promoted from the early prelims to the main card.
With the change, the lineup for UFC 257 now includes:
MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN, ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET)
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 6:15 p.m. ET)
