It's been roughly two-and-a-half years since Matt Dwyer stepped inside a UFC octagon, yet the veteran striker remains laser-focused on reclaiming his spot among the sport's elite.
Saturday night will see Dwyer (10-4, Toshido) challenge former UFC fighter Dominique Steele (17-10) in the XFFC 18 main event, where the vacant XFFC middleweight title hangs in the balance. For Dwyer, it's an opportunity to demonstrate he's finally ready for a UFC return.
Reflecting on his initial UFC debut in 2014 (event details), Dwyer admitted he wasn't fully prepared at the time. But since then, he's developed significantly and believes he can finally deliver on the promise he showed early in his career.
"I'm still developing as a fighter, but I've put in serious work," Dwyer told reporters.
"When I try again for the UFC, I genuinely feel prepared. I just need to step into the cage and prove it."
After UFC released him in 2016, Dwyer compiled notable victories against tough competition, including Chris Anderson and Jesse Ronson.
Now he faces another high-level opponent — and this time, he'll do it in front of fans from his hometown.
More than five years have passed since Dwyer last fought near Kelowna, and he's anticipating what promises to be a memorable evening.
"Being this close to home is something special," Dwyer said. "Seeing friends and family in the crowd — it'll be great."
"I'm genuinely excited. If I execute my game plan and everything clicks, it's going to be a fantastic night."
A Peak Training Camp Delivers Results
As Saturday approaches, Dwyer says he's emerging from the strongest preparation phase of his entire career.
Each training cycle teaches him what to build upon and what to cut out, and over the last few months, everything aligned perfectly.
"I think I finally struck the right balance," Dwyer noted. "My weight sits at just 195 pounds — only 10 pounds above my fight weight."
"I've also been sparring heavily with big guys, trying to move them around all day. That's a steep challenge, but I pushed through it and now I feel dialed in."
Steele, too, has enjoyed a solid stretch since leaving the UFC, taking three of his last four bouts.
Of Steele's 17 career wins, 10 came by unanimous decision. Dwyer, by contrast, boasts a far more aggressive record — eight of his 10 career wins have arrived via knockout or TKO.
Given Steele's tendency to take fights to the scorecards and Dwyer's power to end things at any moment, the matchup could unfold in several different directions. Either way, Dwyer expects to walk away victorious.
"I have full confidence in what I can do," Dwyer said. "It all comes down to what opportunities present themselves on fight night."
"Whether I stop him early or we go the distance, I'm convinced my hand will be raised."
Credits and Thanks
"I want to thank my Toshido coach, David Lea, for standing by me through every high and low. Shout-out to my strength and conditioning coach, Sean Hawthorne at One Life Fitness, for keeping me sharp. And to Sterling Redlack at RDC Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu — they always leave the door open for me to wrestle or train BJJ whenever I need. Having coaches like that makes a real difference."
