After defeating Rafael Fiziev at UFC Vegas 79, Mateus Gamrot expressed his hopes of taking on Charles Oliveira next, predicting he will be available after his assumed defeat in a rematch against the reigning UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev in UFC 294, and expressed his optimism about the potential challenge against Oliveira’s grappling skills.
After successfully securing a win over Rafael Fiziev in the UFC Vegas 79 main event, Mateusz Gamrot didn’t hesitate to express his desire to face Charles Oliveira next. This callout occurred directly after Gamrot’s victory which was due to an injury Fiziev sustained in the second round of their match. Oliveira, a former two-division KSW champion, is booked for a UFC 294 title fight, challenging the reigning UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev in a rematch, nearly a year after losing to him.
Gamrot’s choice to call out Oliveira was deliberate and is based on his prediction that Oliveira is bound to lose to Makhachev once again in October. At the UFC Vegas 79 post-fight press conference, Gamrot revealed his views saying, “I know [Charles Oliveira] has a fight soon next month with the champ. My prediction — the result will be the same as last time, that Islam defends his belt.” Gamrot added that he would gladly wait for Oliveira until the next year possibly around March or May.
Whether Gamrot’s prediction will prove to be accurate remains to be seen. Regardless, his determination to face Oliveira remains resolute. His interest in this potential faceoff is largely driven by an eagerness to compare his grappling skills with those of Oliveira, who currently holds the UFC record for the most submission victories with 16 throughout his career. Gamrot elaborated, “I would like to test myself against Charles Oliveira because he is the most dangerous guy on the ground… I want to show my really good skills in jiu-jitsu. I want to show how good I am on the ground.”
However, Gamrot’s potential match with Oliveira depends on the outcome of UFC 294. As for the possibility of a rematch with Fiziev, Gamrot is open to the idea if the UFC pushes for it. After Fiziev suffered the injury, he was taken to a local hospital in Las Vegas and the extent of his injury is yet to be known. Gamrot has said that if the UFC offers a rematch once Fiziev is healed, he’ll accept, but for now, he’s focusing on new competition. If given a choice, Gamrot would prefer an opponent who’s highly ranked and would let him showcase an impressive performance.