In a crowded lightweight division, every fight provides an opportunity to make a name for yourself and prove your worth as a potential contender for the title. Unfortunately for Mateusz Gamrot, his injury victory over Rafael Fiziev in the main event of UFC Fight Night may not do much to elevate his status in the division.
The match started off slowly, with both fighters cautiously measuring their distance and timing. Fiziev managed to land a powerful punch before successfully defending against Gamrot’s takedown attempt.
The fight settled into a pattern of both fighters exchanging single strikes, until Gamrot began utilizing his wrestling skills to try and take the fight to the ground. The two fighters battled in the clinch, but eventually separated and Fiziev threw a right body kick.
Unexpectedly, Fiziev fell to the canvas and the fight was stopped.
Fiziev’s kick connected with Gamrot’s elbow, but it was Fiziev who sustained an injury to his left knee while throwing the kick. The fight ended as an injury TKO favoring Gamrot at the 2:03 mark of Round 2.
“To be honest, my goal in this fight was to have better defense against his kicks,” said Gamrot following his victory. “…A win is a win. I came out on top tonight and I’m excited for the next challenge.”
While Gamrot acknowledged that winning via injury was not ideal, he expressed his desire to face tougher opponents in the lightweight division, specifically mentioning Charles Oliveira.
“Before this fight, there was talk that the winner would move up in the rankings,” Gamrot revealed. “But for my next fight, I want to test myself against the most dangerous ground fighter, Charles Oliveira. I want to fight him.”
