There is no question about the talent that Polish powerhouse Mateusz Gamrot possesses— elite-level wrestling with highly effective jiu-jitsu and striking to go along with it. Yet despite being the #6 ranked fighter in the lion’s den that is the lightweight division, Gamrot finds himself squaring off against unranked Ludovit Klein in the main event of UFC Fight Night 257, highlighting a constant thorn in the Gamrot’s career – he has consistently been and continues to be overlooked by both the fans and the UFC brass themselves.
escaping the contender vortex
Upstaged from his position as the backup fighter for UFC 294 in favour of Alexander Volkanovski on short notice and constantly ridiculed by fans for his “boring” fighting style, Gamrot has not received any favours to be in the position that he is. Instead, he has earned his ranking through convincing wins over Rafael Dos Anjos, Rafael Fiziev, Jalin Turner and even current number 1 contender Arman Tsarukyan. However, it seems as though after falling short against Dan Hooker at UFC 305, the UFC has taken the loss as a way to shift the ‘Gamer’ out of the title picture by pitting him against the insurgent Klein. Coming off a 4-fight win streak, “Mr Highlight” looks to cement his place amongst the best in the lightweight division by adding Gamrot to his ever-growing highlight reel. However, while Klein looks to make his mark in the lightweight rankings, the bout truly offers the Pole a massive opportunity to reestablish himself as a major player in the division, as a finish over the Slovak could potentially disrupt any plans the UFC had on who the number 1 contender should be after the war that Charles Oliveira vs Ilia Topuria promises to be at UFC 317.
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