​Matheus Camilo acknowledges that some people may view his UFC Fight Night 280 stoppage as controversial, but he believes closer examination shows it was correct. “I understand, too,” Camilo told MMA Junkie recently. “But let me tell you one thing: when he fell, he was in a fetal position. We’re fighters. We know if we stay like that, they’re going to stop the fight for sure.” Referee Rich Mitchell halted Camilo’s bout with Nazim Sadykhov 91 seconds into the first round. Camilo had dropped Sadykhov and was raining down punches, but many watchers, including Sadykhov, felt he wasn’t given ample time to recover as he blocked the blows.
“This is the rule,” Camilo said. “If you want the fight to continue, you need to be active, trying to hug me or do something. I don’t think it was an early stoppage. If he gave me 20 more seconds, what do you think would happen? Imagine the first round, 1:30 into the fight. I’m full of energy and this happened. If he gave me 20 more seconds or 30 or even a minute, it doesn’t matter. Do you think I’m going to stop punching him? No, brother.”
With that fight in the rearview, Camilo looks ahead. The June 27 victory marked his second straight win, following a victory over Viacheslav Borshchev at Madison Square Garden. He hopes to headline UFC’s annual New York card again—perhaps against one of Sadykhov’s training partners. “I was thinking of fighting in November, but if they call me earlier, I’ll be ready for sure. I want to fight in November, maybe in New York, or the same time in Las Vegas at T-Mobile. It’s a dream to fight out there. It could be New York vs. Matt Frevola, Nazim’s friend, or whatever UFC picks for me. It doesn’t matter. I’m going to work hard to beat him.”
Frevola, an all-action veteran of the UFC lightweight division, hasn’t fought since an October defeat to Kyle Nelson—his third loss in as many fights. He currently doesn’t have a bout scheduled.