Mateusz Gamrot took a big risk stepping up to face Charles Oliveira on short notice in “Do Bronxs” own backyard. It didn’t pay off, but that doesn’t make his coaches at American Top Team any less proud of him.
Mike Brown was in Gamrot’s corner for his disappointing second round submission loss,
and he just released a statement giving a little more context into his pupil’s decision to fight in Brazil at the last minute.“We win together, we lose together,” Brown wrote on Instagram. “I’m truly heartbroken
for my friend Mateusz Gamrot, but I always admire his courageousness. Gamrot is not afraid of big challenges and taking big risks.”
“He landed in Florida three weeks ago to started his training camp for a UFC headliner scheduled on November 8,” Brown continued. “His second day in America he heard the news of Fiziev pulling out of his fight with Charles Oliviera. So like the soldier wanting to go to battle, he campaigned hard for the opportunity to fight the Brazilian legend. A few days later he secured the fight.”
“So Mateus trained hard for about 12 days and jumped on a plane to Brazil and took his shot. It’s always a gamble every time you step in the cage and this time the gamble didn’t pay off. The fight didn’t go our way but Gamrot still maintains that same warrior spirit and his passion like no other. He is truly one of a kind.”
It’s interesting to learn that Gamrot already had a November 8th main event lined up and he could have just stayed the course and had a full camp for that. Instead, he jumped at the opportunity to test himself and compete against Oliveira. Hopefully the UFC rewards him for stepping up. No one else wanted to do it, and we saw why in the cage at UFC Rio.
