Matt Schnell Looks To Fight Tooth And Nail For A Win At UFC Fight Night Co-Main Against Joseph Morales
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UFC flyweight fighter Matt Schnell is gearing up for a high-stakes clash against Joseph Morales, and he is eager to prove his grit and fighting spirit before stepping inside the octagon in the co-main event.
It will be a pivotal fight for both fighters, as they will look to prove their point in the competition. At 35, Matt Schnell is a gritty and resilient fighter who is ready to scrap out a victory over his opponent.
Joseph Morales will be quite a challenge as he heads in with a 14-2-0 record. But Matt Schnell is ready to take the fight to its edge.
The Matt Schnell Exclusive: Fighter Ready To Scrap For Co-Main Glory Against Joseph Morales
Republic World sat down with UFC flyweight fighter Matt Schnell ahead of his fight against Joseph Morales at UFC Fight Night: Bonfim vs Brown at the UFC Apex in Enterprise, Nevada.
Matt Schnell has a gritty mindset as he prepared himself in a well-rounded training camp. The flyweight fighter has focused on grappling and has also put himself in tough positions to work through them and be ready for anything inside the octagon.
Schnell has also acknowledged himself as an underdog in the competition, which has fueled a unique energy in him throughout his career.
It would be a solid chance for the UFC flyweight fighter to initiate a win streak and prove that he belongs among the elite in the division. Fans can expect a full-throttle scrap, with Schnell promising a 15-minute war filled with grit and heart.
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The Following Are Excerpts Taken From The Interview
Q1: How has your training camp gone for this fight, and what areas have you focused on most?
Training has been good. We’ve been grappling quite a bit in this camp. I think Joseph likes to grapple. He’s well-rounded. But he’s been dominant here recently in the grappling department, so we feel like he’s gonna kind of keep doing what he’s been doing here lately. So we grapple quite a bit and put ourselves in bad spots, try to work out of them, and gonna go out there, give it our best.
Q2. Do you expect this fight to be more of a stand-up war or a grappling battle?
If I have anything to say about it, we’ll strike a little bit. So I plan on defending the takedown and striking. But I’m ready to grapple, too. So it is what it is, wherever it goes. I’m gonna try and defend the takedowns to the best of my ability. If Joseph is able to score, which I’m sure at some point he will, we’ll grapple.
Q3. What’s your mindset going into this bout compared to previous fights?
You know, much the same as so many of the previous ones. Joseph’s a sizeable favourite, and that just is a familiar position for me. And, I just, I feel like I really have nothing to lose. I’m gonna go out there and rip him around, and we’ll see what happens.
But, you know, 80% of the population counted me out anyway. So what’s new? Overlooked, underappreciated, undervalued, these things go hand in hand with what my career has always been. And, uh, I like that spot. It’s okay with me.
Q4. What does a win here mean for your position in the flyweight division?
A win. I mean, it would be important. It would be nice to get on a winning streak, you know. I’m the older fighter. I’ve been around a l- uh, maybe not longer, I think, because he got in the UFC back at the same time that I was first in the UFC too. And, this dude’s been around for quite a bit as well.
But, you know, I’ve got quite a few fights in the UFC. It’d be nice to get on another winning streak here and try to, you know, get on another little run as I’m ageing. It’s something that’s difficult to do, but I think we’ve seen some guys in the past do it, and I think I’ve got the right stuff, uh, to also get myself back on a little run here.
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Q5. What can fans expect from you when that Octagon door closes?
Scrap, baby. I’m gonna go out there and rip him around. It’s a tough matchup. This guy has a skill set, and one that, you know, we have to be prepared for. We’ve put in the reps. We’ve put in the time and the effort in the gym. I don’t think we’ve cut many corners. Put ourselves in a lot of bad places, worked out of them.
So I think I’m gonna go out there and scrap with this guy for 15 minutes. And we’re gonna find ourselves in some, in some, uh, troublesome positions at times. I think, uh, things will get deep and they’ll get dark, and we’ll both be hurting. We’ll see who wants it more.
Q6. How do you see the flyweight division evolving over the next year?
I think it’s evolving right, right before our e- our eyes. I mean, uh, Pantoja’s being challenged by a 23, 24-year-old kid from Houston, Texas, right around the block from me, and that’s insane. And that kid’s just soared through the division. And there’s a bunch of young guys just like him knocking on the door. Uh, and then there’s, there’s still some old grizzled guys.
I mean, look at Pantoja, he’s done such a great job of holding his position. Brandon Moreno’s still out here. There’s still, uh, Brandon Royval; there are still guys from that previous generation that are still doing very well. But this young crop of guys, they’re coming too. And then there’s guys like, like Charles, uh … my boy Charles. The division’s fun. It’s been fun. It’s been a good, it, and it’s, it’s trending in the right direction.
Tune-In: Watch UFC Fight Night – Bonfim vs. Brown on 9th November 2025 from 5:30 AM IST live on Sony Sports Ten 2 SD & HD, Sony Sports Ten 3 SD & HD (Hindi), Sony Sports Ten 4 SD (Tamil & Telugu).
