Shem Rock might have been a bit overconfident about his future within the UFC.
Lock, who trains with Paddy Pimblett at Subsequent Technology MMA Liverpool, joined the UFC’s light-weight roster in 2025. On the time, he boasted a powerful skilled document of 11 wins, 1 loss, and 1 draw. It clearly gave him nice confidence about his possibilities of success within the promotion, however issues in the end did not work out for him. First, he misplaced a choice to Nurlo Aliyev in his debut match. Issues then received even worse when he misplaced a choice to sophomore Octagon contestant Abdulkareem Alselwadi. This resulted in his launch from the UFC. Information of his departure from the promotion was introduced this week by UFC Roster Watch on the X account.
Whereas this was clearly a troublesome second for The Rock, it was a considerably satisfying second for Octagon veteran Matt Frevola.
UFC veteran Matt Frevola stored the receipt.
Shortly after information broke that The Rock can be launched from the UFC roster, Frevola shared some personal DMs he had exchanged with prospects. The message seems to have been despatched simply earlier than Rock’s debut. In the course of the change, he’s seen difficult Frevola to a struggle and warning the UFC veteran that his probability might cross him by if he does not settle for.
See under.
— Matt “The Steamrolla” Frevola (@SteamRollaa) April 21, 2026
“It is good to struggle a ranked fighter, even when it is your debut,” he wrote, making an attempt to persuade Frevola to take the struggle. “I offer you a leg up. For those who’re good, name my title and struggle. It is simple for you.”
“You are going to study what it means to be a star,” he added.
Mr. Frevola appeared to have little curiosity in what he was studying. That is comprehensible. The American fighter has been on the UFC roster since 2018. He’s at the moment on a three-game shedding streak, however has shared the cage with a few of the elite lightweights, together with Benoit St. Denis, Armand Tsarukyan and Jalin Turner.
