Oliveira Seeks Redemption Against Gamrot in Rio de Janeiro Return
Brazilian fans will witness teh return of former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira as he faces Mateusz Gamrot in the main event of UFC Fight Night on November 12th, marking Oliveira’s first fight in his home country in six years.
Oliveira, currently ranked #4 in the lightweight division, is aiming to rebound after a stunning first-round knockout loss to Ilya Topuria at UFC 317 in June. The defeat, occurring after just 2 minutes and 27 seconds, represented Oliveira’s first KO loss in 13 years. Despite the setback, the 35-year-old Brazilian expressed determination, stating, “long time as I felt my heart pounding like this,” oliveira said, emphasizing his motivation from the enthusiastic support of his home crowd.
Gamrot, ranked #8, stepped in as a late replacement after Raphael Pyzyev sustained a knee injury. The polish fighter views this bout as a championship prospect, declaring, “The fight with Oliveira is like a title fight for me. When I signed with the UFC, my dream was to fight the best fighters in the world, and now I’m chasing that dream.”
The matchup is anticipated to be a clash of styles, pitting Oliveira’s renowned jiu-jitsu skills – he holds the UFC record for most submission wins with 16 – against Gamrot’s strong wrestling background. Gamrot, who began wrestling at age 10, intends to utilize his grappling expertise to exploit potential weaknesses in Oliveira’s game. He confidently stated, “Oliveira is very threatening on the ground, but I can see his weaknesses.”
However, Oliveira has demonstrably expanded his skillset beyond jiu-jitsu, achieving recent victories through striking, including TKO wins over Benil Dariush and Michael Chandler. Gamrot himself has been sharpening his boxing, suggesting a potential stand-up battle.
In the co-main event, former UFC flyweight champion and current bantamweight contender Davidson Figueredo (#6) will face Montel Jackson (#15). Figueredo, a veteran known as the ‘God of War,’ is looking to snap a two-fight losing streak, while Jackson aims to continue his six-fight win streak and perhaps break into the bantamweight top five. Figueredo expressed his respect for Jackson, saying, “I trained thinking that Jackson was the best fighter,” while Jackson confidently stated, “This is the game we always wanted.”
UFC Fight Night: Oliveira vs. Gamrot – Full Fight Card
- Main Card:
- Lightweight: #4 Charles Oliveira vs. #8 Mateusz Gamrot
- Bantamweight: #6 Davidson Figueredo vs. #15 Montel Jackson
- Welterweight: Vicente luque vs. Joel Alvarez
- Heavyweight: Jonata Ginnis vs. Mario Pinto
- Featherweight: Ricardo Hamus vs. Khan Opley
- Featherweight: Lucas Almeida vs. Michael Aswal Jr.
- Undercard:
- Flyweight: Handwriting vs. Clayton Carpenter
- Heavyweight: Vito Petrino vs. Thomas Peterson
- Women’s Bantamweight: Via Mezquita vs.Irina alexeyeva
- Flyweight: Lucas Rocha vs. Stuart Nicol
- Women’s Strawweight: Julie Polastri vs. Karolina Kowalkievic
- Bantamweight: Rouen Lacerda vs. Simon Oliveira
This event promises a night of compelling mixed martial arts action, headlined by Oliveira’s quest to reclaim his championship form in front of a fervent Brazilian audience.
