Mateusz Gamrot reflects on his huge loss to Charles Oliveira on Saturday.
This was a huge fight for Gamrot as this was a chance to make a statement against a former two-time UFC Lightweight Champion. Originally, Rafael Fiziev was scheduled to fight the Brazilian at UFC Rio, but Fiziev was forced out of the bout due to injury. At first, it didn’t seem as if anyone was going to step up and face Charles, but his concerns were quickly silenced when Gamrot stepped up to the plate.
Though Gamrot did takedown Oliveira doing their fight, that simply wasn’t enough as Charles outclassed the lightweight and proved why he’s one of the best fighters in the business. For Gamrot, it shattered a chance to skyrocket himself into the top five within the division.
The UFC lightweight finally broke his silence on social media since his devastating loss and while Gamrot is disappointed in his performance, he ensures that he'll be back and better than ever (Transcript courtesy of MMA Fighting).
"The wolf could not weather the storm. The wind was too strong, the lightning was too close, and the ground beneath my feet was shaking like a heart..
He's down. Not because of lack of courage, but because of the weight of everything that heaven carried. But even then, he didn't go back. He didn't quit, he didn't fold, he did not quit. He raised his head to the black clouds and with a strained look with tears in his eyes he said -it ain't over yet! Because although the storm stopped his step, it could not break his path.
Deep in the heart, the flame is still burning - and it is the one who guides it further, through the wind, through the night, through the uncertainty. The wolf did not go through the storm, but the storm did not break him either."
It’s certainly a gamble that didn’t pay off; however, it should be commended for Gamrot to step up on such short notice. Had he won the fight then it definitely would’ve been a huge boost in his career and his coach described the courageousness it took for him train for a fight on such short notice.
“We win together, we lose together,” Gamrot’s head coach Mike Brown wrote in a statement on Instagram. “I’m truly heartbroken for my friend Mateusz Gamrot but I always admire his courageousness. Gamrot is not afraid of big challenges and taking big risks. He landed in Florida three weeks ago to started his training camp for a UFC headliner scheduled on November 8. His second day in America he heard the news of Fiziev pulling out of his fight with Charles Oliviera. So like the soldier wanting to go to battle he campaigned hard for the opportunity to fight the Brazilian legend. A few days later he secured the fight.
“So Mateus trained hard for about 12 days and jumped on a plane to Brazil and took his shot. It’s always a gamble every time you step in the cage and this time the gamble didn’t pay off. The fight didn’t go our way but Gamrot still maintains that same warrior spirit and his passion like no other. He is truly one of a kind.”
When will we see Gamrot return to the octagon? That’s currently up in the air, but the UFC lightweight hopes to come back stronger and continue to build himself within the stacked division.