LAS VEGAS – Mateusz Gamrot is confident his wrestling matches up well with UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev.
Gamrot (22-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) meets Rafael Fiziev (12-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 228 headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The event streams on ESPN+.
Makhachev (24-1 MMA, 13-1 UFC) defends his lightweight title in a rematch against Charles Oliveira in the UFC 294 headliner on Oct. 21 in Abu Dhabi. Gamrot thinks Makhachev wins again, and has his eye on him for a future showdown.
“I don’t care because my wrestling skills always beat strikers,” Gamrot told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 228 media day. “I am only interested in one guy in this lightweight division. He is a wrestler. He is Islam Makhachev. I believe he will win with Charles Oliveira and I hope that we meet in the future – hopefully next year or in two years.”
When asked if he thinks he’s a better wrestler than Makhachev, Gamrot said yes, and he plans to continue his octagon streak of at least one takedown landed in each fight when he faces Fiziev.
“I think so,” Gamrot said. “We’ll see. I have to meet him in the octagon and fight with him. Then we’ll get the answer who is the better wrestler. In my opinion, I am the best wrestler in the lightweight division. I’ve taken down everybody. This is not a problem for me. This will be the same thing Saturday night.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 228.