LAS VEGAS – Mateusz Gamrot has mapped out a plan to the top, but he knows he still has a bit of work to do.
Gamrot (20-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) picked up his third consecutive stoppage win when he defeated Diego Ferreira by second-round TKO at UFC Fight Night 199 on Saturday, and the former KSW dual champion is expecting to debut in the UFC’s lightweight rankings.
But with the 155-pound title picture already mapped out with pivotal fights between Beneil Dariush and Islam Makhachev, and lightweight champ Charles Oliveira and Justin Gaethje, Gamrot is looking to use next year as a setup for a big 2023.
“Gaethje vs. Oliveira, Islam vs. Dariush, probably these will be the four guys fighting for the title shot,” Gamrot told reporters, including MMA Junkie, at a post-fight news conference. “But I think 2023 is going to be my year and probably if I win my next fight and the next fight, this year I will probably get a title shot, and I show everybody that I’m the best in the world and for sure I’m a big problem for everybody in my division.”
Gamrot won’t be picky with whom he fights next but has expressed interest in former title challenger Michael Chandler (22-7 MMA, 1-2 UFC), whom he thinks stylistically would be an intriguing fight.
“I want to fight everybody in this division,” Gamrot said. “I’m not scared of anybody. But I think Michael Chandler is gonna be good for me because Jeremy (Stephens) was striking, Diego was jiu-jitsu, Scott Holtzman was good everywhere. Chandler is a good wrestler, I’m a wrestler, so we can do a matchup of wrestler vs. wrestler and show which wrestler is better. My suggestion is, I’m new era of fighters, and I think new era vs. old-school era, and I think new era is gonna beat everybody.”
To see the full interview with Gamrot, check out the video above.