At UFC Rio’s main event, Charles Oliveira seems to have most of the stakes on his shoulders. Fans are eager to see whether ‘Do Bronx’ can actually bounce back with a quick turnaround after that brutal loss at UFC 317. But make no mistake. His opponent, Mateusz Gamrot, also has plenty on the line. On October 11th, ‘Gamer’ will be on a mission to avenge his teammate Dustin Poirier’s championship defeat from four years ago.

Remember UFC 269? After two grueling rounds,  ‘Du Bronxs’ ended up submitting ‘The Diamond’ just 1:02 into the third round, snubbing Porier’s second attempt at the 155 lbs gold. Although the Louisiana slugger later fought for the belt again against Islam Makhachev at UFC 302, he never actually got the chance to take revenge against the Brazilian in a rematch. Now, with his American Top Team partner Gamrot set to face Charles Oliveira, it looks like Poirier might’ve shared some solid game plans for his teammate to win the fight.   

Mateusz Gamrot reveals Dustin Poirier’s involvement in the UFC Rio training camp  

In an interview with Ag.Fight, Gamrot said, “Of course. I love train American Top Team. The best fighters and coaches there. Dustin is my really (good) friend, he texts me, and message me a lot. I talk with him almost every day, So, he give me advice what I need to do, what I need to be careful in the feet, in the ground. So, I’m more than ready for this fight bro. All my life I’ve waiting to get this opportunity, many times I asked UFC about Charles. So this is the time to show.”

The Polish grappler revealed that he shares a good relationship with Dustin Poirier and has indeed been receiving some much-needed advice from him. But, in this particular interview, he didn’t specify what kind of guidance ‘The Diamond’ has been offering. However, it turns out, from another interview, that the retired UFC legend has been helping him refine his striking skills.

Gamrot told Shak MMA, “He help me a lot bro, he’s great man. We have a good relationship, I train with him a lot. You know, every training with him, I am getting better. I improve my striking, and he always believes when I strike. And always before a fight, he tells me, hey man, you have to believe your striking.”

This is very much a two-way street, too. While Poirier helps Gamrot with striking, the Pole has helped Dustin with the grappling side of things – especially to prepare for opponents like Benoit Saint-Denis.

Well, ‘Gamer’ might be sharpening his striking to turn his fighting style into a more well-rounded threat. Still, it’s worth noting that the No.8-ranked lightweight already possesses some of the best wrestling skills in the division. Because of that, Gamrot believes he can capitalize on Charles Oliveira’s crucial mistakes on the mat.

The Polish grappler sees holes in Charles Oliveira’s game  

‘Do Bronxs’ holds the UFC record for the most submission wins, a feat that cements him as one of the most dangerous ground specialists in the sport’s history. However, that accomplishment doesn’t seem to intimidate Mateusz Gamrot, who believes Charles Oliveira still has major gaps in his game that he fully intends to exploit in their UFC Rio showdown.  

In an interview with MMA Junkie, Gamrot said, “Of course, bro, he tapped like almost nine times in the UFC. So, I see holes on the ground, and I always represent wrestling style in the cage. So, it’s gonna be fireworks from the beginning, high pace, and I really can’t wait to exchange submissions with him. Long time I try to get a fight with him because he’s one of the greatest, one of the most dangerous guys on the planet.” 

Well, the Polish fighter sounds very confident here, but he seems to have missed a few key details. Out of Oliveira’s 11 UFC losses, only 4 have come via submission, 5 by knockout, and just 2 by decision. So, ‘Do Bronx’ definitely hasn’t tapped nine times in his entire career.

That said, do you think Mateusz Gamrot can actually pull off a victory at UFC Rio this weekend and avenge Dustin Poirier’s UFC 269 loss against Charles Oliveira? Let us know in the comments section below.