Las Vegas, NV — “Challenge is my second name,” Polish lightweight Mateusz Gamrot said during Wednesday’s UFC 285 media day.
Gamrot (21-2, 1NC) certainly has a challenge ahead of him this Saturday in Las Vegas, with the surging Jalin Turner stepping in to replace Dan Hooker on short notice.
Turner is a tall, lanky striker, but that’s no problem for the Pole, Gamrot told media outlets including Cageside Press on Wedneday.
“Many times I’ve fought with high-level strikers, many times I’ve fought with taller guys than me,” Gamrot stated. “This is no problem for me.”
Gamrot was on the fast-track in the UFC’s lightweight division, prior to running into Beneil Dariush in his last fight. Dropping a decision, Gamrot sees the fight as a lesson learned.
“Before my last fight, I was thinking about, my career is very fast, and I’m very fast climbing to the top. My last fight, I made a little mistake with Beneil Dariush, I lost control of my emotions and I lost,” explained Gamrot. “But this was a big lesson for me. Now, I’m a more mature fighter than before, and I can say thank you, Beneil Dariush. You gave me a big lesson in my life.”
Despite the loss in his last outing, Gamrot believes the winner of his fight with Jalin Turner should be on solid footing moving forward.
“For sure the guy who’s winning this this Saturday night, next fight deserves top five.”
Mateusz Gamrot is a former KSW champion who competed at that promotion’s Colosseum card in 2017 — the second largest MMA event in history, in terms of attendance. The UFC hasn’t done a stadium show in years, but Gamrot invites them to do so in Poland.
“I fought one time, the biggest show,” he noted. “I felt like gladiators many years ago, in the Colosseum.”
Watch the full UFC 285 media day appearance by Mateusz Gamrot above.
