Mateusz Gamrot (aka “Gamer”), born December 11th, 1990 in Bielsko-Biała, Poland, started his martial arts journey on the freestyle wrestling mats in Poland. Whilst gaining proficiency he also won medals in the Polish Youth Championships.
You can see the effect of the 31-year old’s childhood wrestling on his fighting today, his grappling-heavy style has led him to accumulate an astounding 21-2 professional record.
He has also managed to make a splash on the competitive grappling scene at the most prestigious grappling event in the world, the Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC). Gamrot has won the notoriously grueling European trials to qualify for the event twice, in 2014 and 2019.
The Pole made his name in the Polish promotion KSW, and from 2013 to 2020 he went undefeated in the organization, capturing both the light and featherweight titles. This led to his signing by the UFC where he had a shock loss on his debut to fellow debutant Guram Kutateladze, by split decision
Since, however, he has gone on a four-fight winning streak in the promotion, his latest coming over top 10-ranked UFC lightweight Armen Tsarukyan, by unanimous decision in June 2022.
Since, however, he went on a four-fight winning streak in the promotion. That was snapped last weekend in a title eliminator bout at UFC 280 by Beneil Dariush. “Benny” picked up the unanimous decision victory, whereupon Mateusz said,“Failure hurts, but it teaches! Thank you @beneildariush for a great battle and valuable lessons”.
Gamrot has now established himself as a top 10 UFC lightweight, and it shouldn’t be long before we see him back in the title picture at 155 pounds.
So without further ado, let’s check out his most exciting career highlights to date in Mateusz “Gamer” Gamrot’s Top 5 MMA Finishes! (in descending order)
5. Vs Marif Piraev – KSW 32: Road to Wembley (Oct. 31, 2015)
In this fight Gamrot handed Piraev (aka “Piranha”) the first loss of his professional career, he was 18-0-1 before he met Gamrot in London.
Gamrot started first, throwing a jab to right straight, before diving in on his favorite takedown, the low single.
Piraev initially defended well turning his back to limp leg out, however once he freed his leg, he turned back into Gamrot to pursue a front headlock, allowing Gamrot the opportunity to secure a double leg takedown, into half guard.
Piraev managed to gain full guard and did a good job of breaking down Gamrot’s posture with collar ties and over hooks, in order to not allow him to posture up and land significant blows.
Once he had established control on Gamrot, Piraev opened his guard to get more aggressive with his attacks, but it allowed the opportunity for Gamrot to step over a leg and land in half guard.
Piraev’s over hooks now worked against him as they turned into double underhooks for Gamrot, which gave him a great ability to pass allowing him to switch passing sides with impunity.
However, the Russian did a great job of using a butterfly hook to elevate Gamrot and prevent the pass, and stop the short elbows he was landing. This eventually led him to get double butterfly hooks and use the fence to get back to his feet.
The two spent the remainder of the round in the over under position, before Piraev hit a nice outside trip, but with only seconds left, was unable to take advantage.
Piraev started the second round aggressively, swinging a big right straight to left hook, but the telegraph from his aggression allowed Gamrot to slip and return with a right hook counter, causing Piraev to stumble against the cage.
At 0:50 Piraev threw an inside low kick, which appeared to hurt him as he winced and hobbled as he returned to his feet, after falling. This allowed Gamrot to capitalize with a front kick and flurry of straight punches, knocking his opponent down.
Smelling blood in the water, Gamrot threw ground and pound from half guard, but Piraev was able to get an underhook in and pull him into butterfly guard against the cage.
“Gamer” Gamrot remained in the guard, landing strikes before stack passing, then landing in side control to deliver hammer fists which forced the referee to stop the fight at 3:21 of round 2.
4. Vs Renato Gomes – KSW 36: Trzy Korony (Oct. 1, 2016)
The bout with Gomes (aka “Pezinho”) was the first defence of Gamrot’s lightweight title, after defeating Mansour Barnaoui for the vacant championship, by unanimous decision at KSW 35.
The Brazilian was brought in from Aspera FC to challenge in his debut for KSW and was on a three-fight winning streak at the time.
Gamrot started the fight aggressively opening with a jumping front kick. This pace continued as he shot his first takedown just thirty seconds in, throwing an overhand right which he used to change levels into a double leg takedown.
Gomes sprawled back but Gamrot took an underhook and relentlessly pursued him, eventually finishing with an outside trip.
His opponent managed to build his way back to his feet and caught Gamrot’s leg as he went for a knee from the clinch, achieving a takedown but Gamrot immediately used the falling momentum to roll and reverse the position ending in top side control.
Gomes managed to get his guard, and after a few failed passing attempts from Gamrot, he off balanced him enough to stand back up. As he did Gamrot grabbed a front headlock and used it to land a knee to the head.
In round 2, Gomes came forward throwing punches to start which allowed Gamrot to drop his level and secure a double leg takedown, instantly switching his hips and passing to side control as they hit the mat.
Gomes managed to get up quickly but was immediately put back down. The two remained battling it out in half guard, until at 2:10 of the round Gomes exposed his back and Gamrot pounced, getting a hook in forcing them both to the mat.
Gamrot was unable to insert his second hook, and Gomes did a good job of getting his back to the mat and turning into Gamrot to escape.
Gamrot didn’t allow his man back to the feet again and managed to pass the guard. With two minutes to go, Gamrot sat back into the saddle from side control and started attacking the inside heel hook.
Gomes tried to hand fight, but Gamrot caught a tight lock on the heel as Gomes tried to roll out, causing the tap at 3:36 into round 2.
3. Vs. Rodrigo Cavalheiro – KSW 30: Genesis (Feb. 21, 2015)
This was only Gamrot’s second fight in KSW, just two months after his debut. Cavalheiro was a dangerous striker making his first and only appearance in the promotion.
Just over a minute in, Gamrot led with an overhand right whilst Cavalheiro threw a leg kick which was promptly picked up by Gamrot and turned into a takedown, but Cavalheiro did well to escape and keep the fight standing.
Gamrot was the aggressor on the feet, constantly pressuring his opponent who again threw a leg kick that was caught, and this time Gamrot finished the takedown into closed guard. They remained there until the end of the round, with Gamrot landing good ground and pound.
The whole of the second round took place on the feet, with Gamrot again controlling the cage and pressuring his man. The Brazilian attempted a wheel kick that only narrowly missed, 20 seconds in.
At 1:00, Gamrot threw an overhand right, and Cavalheiro countered with a body kick that led to his knee connecting with the dipped head of Gamrot earning a smile in recognition.
Cavalheiro looked tentative to engage, possibly due to the threat Gamrot showed in catching kicks. Gamrot did look for a double leg takedown with 20 seconds to go, but it was defended well.
In round 3, Cavalheiro came out far more aggressively, pressuring Gamrot back for the first time, and landing a head kick as Gamrot changed levels.
At 1:10 into the round Cavalheiro landed a hard knee to Gamrot’s head as he changed levels, but his chin held up well as he tried to turn it into a takedown. However, Calvalheiro did a good job of breaking his posture and preventing the attempt.
Cavalheiro looked to be taking charge of the fight, landing good, consistent punches and kicks, dropping Gamrot with a left hook with 1:25 left in the round.
Moments afterwards, Gamrot threw a right head kick, falling over in the process. Opportunistically, he shot through the legs and out the other side, exposing the back bodylock that was countered with a kimura.
Cavalheiro tried to use it to roll Gamrot over, by sitting to the mat but Gamrot kept his hips heavy, landing in top half guard. Gamrot used this position to pass guard into mount, raining down a hail storm of punches, causing the fight to be stopped with just 6 seconds left.
2. Vs. Tim Newman – Cage Warriors 72 (Sep. 13, 2014)
The quickest finish on this list, and the earliest in Gamrot’s career, this was his first and only fight in the British promotion, Cage Warriors.
Newman (aka “Super Human”) started the fight pressuring Gamrot and probing with jabs. Gamrot returned fire 15 seconds in with a straight right, ducking under Newman’s big left hook counter, grabbing a single leg, but he was shaken off.
At 1:00 of the round plowed forward with straight punches allowing Gamrot to change levels and this time finish a single leg takedown, with Newman’s back against the cage.
He pressured his opponent against the fence and dropped back to attack an inside heel hook. The Englishman tried to hand fight, but Gamrot was able to use his legs to push away the hips to earn the tap at 1:37 into round 1.
1. Vs. Norman Parke – KSW 53: Reborn (Jul. 11, 2020)
This fight is certainly one of the most memorable from his career. It was the closing act to a trilogy that, as with most rivalries, had its fair share of bad blood.
Their first bout ended in a unanimous decision victory for Gamrot, with Parke accusing his opponent of biting his fingers during the fight, and Gamrot saying the Northern Irishman was putting his fingers in his mouth.
The controversy continued into the second bout, with the fight ending in a no contest, after Parke suffered two eye pokes. In the aftermath he was punched by one of Gamrot’s cornermen.
All this led to unsavory words being exchanged between the two, but Gamrot had the last laugh in this dominant performance over the interim champion.
The first round was a cagey affair, with both men seemingly feeling each other out, weary of any adjustments they may have made. Gamrot was able to land some solid one-twos, and established a takedown threat, momentarily picking up a single leg with just over a minute to go, but “Stormin” threw him off.
Gamrot began upping the volume in the second round and landed an elbow to Parke’s nose at 1:30 in, causing a cut to open. Parke was really wearing the damage delivered by Gamrot’s elbows by the end of the round, with face bloodied, and a cut leaking under his right eye.
With the damage accumulating still further in the third round, and Parke not able to lay a glove on Gamrot as he bounced around letting off lightning-fast combinations, the referee stepped in to get the doctor to look at Parke’s now closed eye. It took just a few seconds for it to be waved off at 3:02 of the third round.
A brilliant display of striking by the predominantly grappling-heavy Gamrot, this really showed a rounding out improvement from the man who started his martial arts journey grappling.
