Is This Gamrot’s Last Chance at Staying at the Top of the Lightweight Division?
After beating Arman Tsarukyan in 2022 in a main event showdown, Mateusz Gamrot was poised to be a serious threat to Islam Makhachev due to his impressive wrestling and grappling capabilities. His conditioning to shoot takedown after takedown and scramble out of any possible danger made him someone to look at. Since then, he has gone 3-2 and watched his opportunities pass him by. He has previously asked to step in and fight countless lightweights, but the UFC just hasn’t given him the call. Is the UFC trying to push Gamrot out of the upper echelon in the Lightweight Division, or is there a chance he can give everyone a performance we have not yet seen?
With Islam Makhachev vacating his title to move up to the 170, there aren't any real contenders lined up after a new Lightweight Champion is crowned. Ilia Topuria will be making his Lightweight debut against the always dangerous Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 to crown a new Lightweight Champion. Looking forward to what a potential fight with either of these athletes would be like for Gamrot, it isn’t all that enticing. In both instances, he would look to circle away from the power shots coming his way until he is eventually able to close the distance and try to secure a takedown. In 2021, Gamrot went 3-0, finishing all three of his opponents. Since then, he has not gotten a single finish, disregarding his KO victory against Rafael Fiziev due to an injury. He doesn’t have the fighting style that adheres to the fans, and his overall image isn’t marketable enough for the UFC to fully back him. If he were to pile together impressive and dominant performances, he would give the UFC no choice but to schedule him a big-time fight in his foreseeable future.
This Saturday, ‘Gamer’ is scheduled to take on Ludovit Klein in the co-main event on the card. This arguably is the worst possible matchup for Gamrot, as Klein has the best takedown defense in the entire Lightweight Division at 95.2 percent. Package that with his disciplined striking, it could be a long night for the Polish athlete. Gamrot is second all-time in takedowns in the Lightweight Division. He will need to mix in his improved striking to try and close the distance and make the takedown attempts easier for him. Klein doesn’t take risks, and his defensive skills are elite, however, Gamrot's constant pressure and aggressive nature to shoot takedown after takedown might just be enough to wear down Klein and drag him into deep waters. It’s all going to come back to one side trying to outpoint their opponent on the feet and the other side trying to outpoint their opponent on the ground. The margin for error is extremely thin in this matchup and could result in either athlete's defeat.
This is a razor-close contest that is going to come down to strategy and overall fight IQ. This is going to be a three-round chess match that is going to be exciting for the hardcore combat fans and rather boring for the casual combat fans due to the lack of awe-inspiring moments. Whichever fan you are, I implore you to tune in to watch the highest level of martial arts taking place in this matchup next Saturday May 31st. Main card start time is 9:00 p.m. EST.
