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Frevola’s cornerman and training partner Billy Quarantillo had tested positive for COVID-19, prompting the UFC lightweight’s removal from the show.
Matt Frevola never tested positive for COVID-19, but the UFC lightweight was still unable to compete on the June 20th Fight Night show.
Frevola was scheduled to fight Frank Camacho on the preliminary card of UFC on ESPN: Blaydes vs. Volkov, but his cornerman and fellow UFC fighter Billy Quarantillo had a confirmed positive test for COVID-19. By being in close contact with Quarantillo, the UFC erred on the side of caution and removed Frevola from the event despite the fact that he tested negative.
In an interview with MMA Junkie, Frevola talked about all that transpired, including the fact that he and Quarantillo drove from Vegas to Florida (where they had trained) to quarantine.
“It was quite the journey,” Frevola said. “Every time we’d stop for gas, I was getting all my food and all my candy I wanted to eat. I was enjoying munching on the car ride. We did it. We drove all the way to Florida. I was down in Florida. I quarantined and did 14 days in Florida. Then I got tested and got my seventh negative COVID test. Once I got that, I went home, and now I’m home on Long Island. I’m kind of trying to plan out this next fight camp.”
One of the question marks concerning UFC fighters is whether they would be compensated for any fights that are scrapped as a direct result of COVID-19. In Frevola’s case, he says he got his full purse (show/win).
“They really took care of me,” Frevola said. “They paid me my show and my win. It definitely took a little bit of the salt out of the wound. Yeah, they took care of me.”
This falls in line with the UFC’s decision to pay Jacare Souza and Uriah Hall when Jacare was removed from UFC 249 when he tested positive for coronavirus. Of course, when the entire UFC London card was scratched it was a different story in terms of how much compensation fighters received.
Frevola is targeting UFC 252 on August 15th for a return to the Octagon. He expressed interest in taking on Khama Worthy, who’s fresh off a dramatic guillotine win over Luis Pena at UFC on ESPN: Poirier vs. Hooker last weekend.