Exclusive: Mateusz Rebecki Talks FEN MMA and Targeting UFC Success
Poland’s Mateusz Rebecki may not be a familiar name to casual MMA fans, but the 28-year-old has carved out a reputation for himself as one of Europe’s top lightweights.
Rebecki competes under the FEN MMA banner, where he is the reigning lightweight champion. The Polish promotion has kept him active since he signed with them in 2015. In February, Rebecki celebrated his tenth FEN MMA bout with a devastating KO of Argentina’s Jose Barrios Vargas in the main event of FEN 32.
The opening round victory took Rebecki’s record to 12-1, with his sole defeat taking place in 2014. A grappler by trade, Rebecki was a skilled BJJ practitioner before switching to MMA. His initial success in the cage was owed in part to his impressive ground game. However, over the years, he has developed and refined his striking capabilities. After scoring his first KO win in his seventh professional bout, the Gryfice born fighter has been on a hot streak racking up six further stoppage wins in as many fights.
“Every victory makes me happy, and this time it was the same. I’ve always dreamed of knocking someone out like that, and I did it that night. This ending of the fight allows me to believe that I am still developing as a fighter,” Rebecki said to LowkickMMA about his most recent victory.
Shortly after defending his title at FEN 32, the BJJ black belt, signed with First Round Management, home to Jon Jones, Jorge Masvidal, and Demetrious Johnson. The move hints that we could eventually see Rebecki competing outside of his native Poland.
“I would like to fight for the UFC, and if I can’t, then continue to fight and cooperate with the FEN organization. I do not know what my sports level is compared to the world’s best fighters. So I would like to test myself in the UFC,” Rebecki commented.
” I don’t know if I can handle it there, but I don’t want to regret in my old age that I didn’t do my best to get there. My weight class is one of the most popular in whole MMA, and thus the bar is set very high.”
In the meantime, Rebecki is enjoying the journey he has been on with FEN MMA. The promotion opened its doors in November of 2013, and after successfully establishing itself in the local market, it is now looking to attract the interest of international audiences. FEN MMA’s last two PPV events were available worldwide, and Rebecki expects the promotion to continue expanding in the coming years.
“I really appreciate the opportunity to fight in the FEN federation, and that is why we continue to work together. It’s hard to talk about the future nowadays, but FEN is developing dynamically, and they will probably surprise me positively in the next few years.”
Polish MMA seems to be on the rise at the moment. The country has an impressive local scene, and with fighters like UFC Middleweight Champion Jan Blachowicz flying the flag overseas, Poland and Polish fighters will continue to play an important role in the sport.
“We, as Poles, are true warriors, and this is probably why there is so much interest in a sport such as MMA,” Rebecki exclaimed, speaking about the popularity of MMA in his homeland.
Rebecki’s next steps will be interesting to follow and with a new managerial team behind himfans should not be surprised if his name starts to become a lot more familiar in the near future.
