The UFC was back in Rio this past weekend with arguably the country’s most popular fighter headlining the card. Former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira (36-11) was back and he looked to bounce back against top ten contender Mateusz Gamrot (25-4).
Gamrot was looking at a fight later this year when he found out that Rafael Fiziev was out of the main event against Charles Oliveira. Immediately, Gamrot got in touch with the UFC and he was vocal online about jumping at the opportunity. Gamrot is someone who wants to go after every opportunity that’s out there.
He got the shot and this was a huge opportunity for him. If Gamrot was able to beat Oliveira in Brazil, he would immediately jump into the top five at 155. Unfortunately for Gamrot, it just wasn’t meant to be on Saturday night.
While Gamrot is known for his elite grappling, he just had nothing for Oliveira. After landing an early takedown, Gamrot found himself reversed with Oliveira on his back for the majority of the first round. The same thing happened in the second round but it ultimately led to a rear naked choke and a submission win for Oliveira at UFC Rio.
What’s next after UFC Rio?
The great thing for Gamrot in my opinion is that this was a very low-risk, high-reward type of fight. Gamrot took the fight on short-notice and he’s currently ranked eighth in the UFC’s lightweight division. He was doing the promotion a big favor and he had the opportunity to jump into the top five with a win.
That said, with a loss, he really didn’t lose much ground and I think that’s the case. Also, he really didn’t take any damage in this fight so I think he can turn around pretty quickly. Whether he fights at the end of the year or the first part of 2026, we will likely see Gamrot back pretty soon.
In terms of next opponents, I think there are a few options. One option could be Michael Chandler. Chandler is coming off three-straight losses and might be holding out hope for that Conor McGregor fight at The White House, so I’m not sure it’s feasible but it’s a fight that does make sense for the division.
Renato Moicano could be another option for Gamrot or we could also look at the loser of the upcoming Beneil Dariush – Benoit Saint-Denis fight in November. Any of those names could make a lot of sense for the UFC to look at when it comes to Gamrot’s next fight.
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