Following Rafael Fiziev’s withdrawal from his matchup with Charles Oliveira, Mateusz Gamrot stepped up to fill the vacant spot for the upcoming UFC Fight Night 261.
Despite Oliveira’s claims that contenders weren’t serious about accepting the fight, UFC matchmakers selected Gamrot from the pool of fighters who threw their hats in the ring for a shot at him. Initially, Oliveira was unhappy with Gamrot as an opponent, but he has since moved past it. He even went on social media to congratulate Gamrot and promise a spectacular performance.
“Opponent: Mateusz Gamrot,” Oliveira said on social media. “This is the guy we’re going to battle in a great war. The rest just wanted the hype, just wanted to stall and talk, but that’s part of it, that’s how it is.
“Mateusz Gamrot, thank you for accepting the fight. It’s going to be a big war! The lion is hungry. I’m full of willpower. We’ll meet on Oct. 11.”
Mateusz Gamrot (25-3, 1 NC) is coming off a decision win over L’udovit Klein in May during a main event slot. That victory put him back in the win column after a split-decision loss to Dan Hooker. Gamrot, ranked eighth at lightweight, holds an 8-3 UFC record with notable wins over Arman Tsarukyan, Rafael dos Anjos, and Rafael Fiziev.
Charles Oliveira enters the fight after suffering a knockout loss to Ilia Topuria for the lightweight belt in June. Before that, he secured a decision win over Michael Chandler following a hard-fought decision loss to Tsarukyan.
As MMA veterans like Melvin Guillard retire after long careers, the lightweight division continues to evolve with new contenders like Gamrot stepping up to face elite competition such as Oliveira.
