Mateusz Gamrot is determined to prove he’s one of the UFC lightweight division’s elite contenders.
The 34-year-old former KSW two-weight champion gets that opportunity on Oct. 11 when he steps into a short-notice main event against Charles Oliveira in enemy territory at UFC Rio. Oliveira, a former UFC titleholder, was originally expected to face Rafael Fiziev until an injury forced the change. Before the UFC even reached out to Gamrot, he texted his manager and booked a flight to Florida to start an impromptu camp at American Top Team. Luckily for him, the opportunity he hoped to manifest came to fruition.
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Speaking Tuesday on “The Ariel Helwani Show,” Gamrot expressed exactly how much it all means.
“I can’t wait for this. Every day I wake up, I’m crying,” he told Uncrowned. “But the crying, this is my motivation. This is my extra energy, extra vibes, because this is one of the biggest fights in my life. I know how it’s a risk, but if I [get] past Oliveira next weekend, bro, this going to be [a] big open door in my MMA [career].
“This is true emotion inside my body. Everything good I need in my life [comes with] this fight and this opportunity. So this is the emotion, this is the crying — but this is like motivational crying. I don’t have my family here, my kids. I left my family in Poland. But every time that I talk with them, this is like extra vibes, extra energy for me.”
Gamrot is no stranger to big fights and a bright spotlight. The veteran contender debuted in the UFC in 2020 with plenty of hype as an undefeated featherweight and lightweight champion with KSW. It didn’t take long for him to work his way up the 155-pound ladder, and he has since headlined three UFC Fight Night events, earning victories over Arman Tsarukyan, the aforementioned Fiziev, and most recently L’udovit Klein this past May — the last of which came as the result of a rare, last-second, mid-event cancellation of UFC Vegas 107’s original main event between Erin Blanchfield and Maycee Barber.
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Against Oliveira, Gamrot faces only the second former UFC champion put in front of him, following his unanimous decision win over Rafael dos Anjos in March 2024.
In terms of name, relevance and the event’s headliner spot, it’s an unmatched moment for Gamrot.
“Today I did my first sparring session in American Top Team, because [for this] first week I have to acclimate [to] five rounds, high pace,” Gamrot said. “Nonstop action, everything. I am super happy after my first sparring [session] here. Probably Thursday or Friday will be the last session, and then Saturday I go to Brazil — and I know that, right now, I’m ready for this fight.
“I’ve been waiting all my life for this opportunity. I don’t need a camp. Just strong mind and go forward.”
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Oliveira is no easy challenge for any lightweight, but that’s historically been even more true when the UFC’s all-time submissions leader fights in his homeland of Brazil. Gamrot hopes to become the first man to defeat Oliveira on the former champ’s native soil after 17 past unsuccessful attempts.
Oliveira will have extra motivation to rebound from his loss to new UFC champ Ilia Topuria this past June. Having suffered a vicious knockout, Oliveira’s quick turnaround has prompted concerns over whether he’s rushing back too soon for another fight. That thought isn’t too present in Gamrot’s mind, though.
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“My coaches say the same thing — this is a little bit too early — but I am not his coaches,” Gamrot said. “He’s smart, he’s one of the biggest names in the lightweight division, so he knows what he’s doing. This is the Rio card and he [hasn’t fought for] a long time in Brazil, maybe that’s why he takes this fight. This is a risk, of course, but I am not his coach, so we will see what happens in the cage.
“I am more than ready to fight with him. I am not afraid to scramble with him on the ground, exchange punches in the fight. I have no pressure — God [has given] me the conditioning to solve [him]. I’m going to Rio and I want to take [Oliveira’s] place [atop the division’s rankings].
“[Oliveira went] fast [against Topuria], tried to take him down, was a little bit scrambling on the ground, but his chin doesn’t look as good,” Gamrot added. “When I watch his fights, I always see from the beginning, he always goes aggressive and he starts to be fast, so I expect the same [at UFC Rio]. We’ll start and step in the cage, the first moment from the first round is going to be crazy.”
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A win for Gamrot would put him at 5-1 over his past six UFC bouts and inch him closer than ever to his first title shot with the promotion. As Topuria’s reign begins, the new champion is seemingly expected to receive his first challenger in the form of old enemy Paddy Pimblett. While not yet official, the pair of lightweights stared down in the Octagon immediately after Topuria’s win over Oliveira at UFC 317.
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Gamrot still isn’t sold on the promotion going in that direction, but if the fight does happen, he predicts a comfortable victory in the champion’s first lightweight title defense.
“Paddy is maybe not big name, but for the media, he’s very popular. So maybe he does get this fight,” Gamrot said.
“Interesting matchup, but I think Topuria will knock him out.”
