Rivalries: Mateusz Gamrot

Mateusz Gamrot sees himself as a contender in the Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight division, but he has failed to piece together enough consistency to make his vision a reality.

“Gamer” will attempt to hold off the hard-charging Ludovit Klein when they lock horns in the UFC on ESPN 68 co-main event this Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Gamrot, 34, has won seven of his past nine bouts—a run that includes victories over Rafael dos Anjos, Rafael Fiziev, Jalin Turner and Diego Ferreira. He last suited up at UFC 305, where he wound up on the wrong side of a split decision against Dan Hooker on Aug. 17. The Pole has never suffered back-to-back defeats.

As Gamrot approaches his upcoming clash with Klein at 155 pounds, a look at a few of the rivalries that have helped shape his career to this point:

Mansour Barnaoui

Gamrot improved to 11-0 and laid claim to the vacant Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki lightweight crown three-round unanimous decision over the Frenchman in a KSW 35 co-feature on May 27, 2016 at Ergo Arena in Gdansk, Poland. Scores were 30-27, 30-26 and 30-26. It was competitive early, then turned lopsided late. Barnaoui connected with crisp punching combinations and sprawled on attempted takedowns, only to gradually wear down. Gamrot overwhelmed the former M-1 Global champion by setting off repeated scrambles and iced a signature victory with a stellar third round. There, he powered into top position and battered Barnaoui with punches and elbows in a strong closing statement.

Guram Kutateladze

The Allstars Training Center export leaned on sensational grappling defense and a hyperactive kicking game in a successful Ultimate Fighting Championship debut, as he walked away with a split decision over Gamrot in their featured UFC Fight Night 180 lightweight prelim on Oct. 17, 2020 at the Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. All three cageside judges scored it 29-28: Darryl Ransom and Victor Wolf for Kutateladze, David Lethaby for the favored Gamrot. A short-notice substitution for Magomed Mustafaev, Kutateladze chipped away with kicks to the body, legs and head, sat down his Polish adversary with an overhand left in the second round and withstood a late surge from the American Top Team representative in the third. Gamrot struggled to find a foothold throughout, but he landed a front kick to the face in the waning moments before executing a duck-under takedown. Kutateladze, however, was wise to his efforts, chewed up the remaining time and exited the cage with his hand raised. It was Gamrot’s first loss as a pro.

Arman Tsarukyan

Gamrot passed his first test as an Ultimate Fighting Championship headliner when he took a unanimous decision from the surging contender in the UFC on ESPN 38 main event on June 25, 2022 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. All three members of the judiciary turned in 48-47 scorecards. Tsarukyan landed kicks to all levels—he was particularly effective to the body—and stonewalled nine of his opponent’s first 11 takedown attempts. However, the persistent Gamrot refused to be denied. He pressed Tsarukyan into the cage repeatedly, stayed one step ahead of him in the clinch and secured multiple takedowns in the third, fourth and fifth rounds. Gamrot’s efforts paid dividends down the stretch. He piled up considerable amounts of control time, bled Tsarukyan’s gas tank dry and, most importantly, kept him out of his comfort zone and far away from a potential rally.

Beneil Dariush

The Kings MMA product kept his place in line at 155 pounds with a unanimous decision over Gamrot in a three-round UFC 280 lightweight attraction on Oct. 22, 2022 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Scores were 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28. Gamrot did all he could to knock the Rafael Cordeiro disciple offline. Nothing worked. Stellar takedown defense, a stout jab, punishing body kicks and the occasional punching bursts tipped the Dariush spear. Operating in the shadows of the Charles Oliveira-Islam Makhachev headliner, he put an exclamation point on the performance in the third round. There, he floored Gamrot with an overhand left, the impact of the blow echoing throughout the arena. The American Top Team-trained Polish stalwart recovered quickly but was never afforded the opportunity to establish a true foothold in the match. Dariush outlanded him by 59-33 margin in significant strikes across the 15-minute encounter.