Mateusz Gamrot may have found himself in a complicated situation! The Polish 155er had a steadily built winning streak going on before Dan Hooker derailed his momentum in August last year. Gamrot returned to the win column this year with a dominant decision win over Ludovit Klein, only to get paired with the most lethal finisher in the game, Charles Oliveira. This has got former welterweight champ Kamaru Usman wondering how this fight affects the #8-ranked lightweight.

On the Pound 4 Pound podcast, Usman, who co-hosts the show with fellow legend Henry Cejudo, previewed the UFC Rio main event. Speaking of Mateusz Gamrot’s fighting style, he said, “Mateusz Gamrot seems to kind of shy a little bit away from the striking, and he seems to be really dialed in on taking you down, controlling you, and potentially looking to finish the fight down there on the ground,” the former champion stated. He believes it’s a great opportunity for Gamrot to showcase how good he is against a record-setting former champion. But there’s a catch.

Mateusz Gamrot is in a tough spot against Charles Oliveira

Kamaru Usman believes that even if ‘Gamer’ gets past Charles Oliveira, he’ll find himself running in circles. Despite having a win over the consensus #1 contender, Arman Tsarukyan, he still finds himself far from a title shot. And given that the Armenian star has a win over ‘Do Bronxs’, ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ doubts how a win benefits Mateusz Gamrot. The picture only gets bleaker if he loses.

Oliveira has been able to make spectacular comebacks from losses in the past, like in his fight against Beneil Dariush. A victory would certainly be the cherry on top of Gamrot’s crawling around the top 5 in the division. “I like this fight. I think it’s very intriguing. I don’t think it’s as simple as MMA math,” Usman continued.

“Mateusz Gamrot beat Arman Tsarukyan. Arman Tsarukyan beat Charles Oliveira. Mateusz Gamrot’s going to beat Charles Oliveira. I don’t think it’s that simple. I think Charles Oliveira still has a little bit of life left after that last fight with Ilia Topuria… This [fight] is going to be the real tell,” the former welterweight champion said on the Pound 4 Pound show.

“I just think it’s not as easy as this guy beat that guy. This guy’s going to beat this guy… This is also a chance that Mateusz Gamrot’s been looking for. I feel like he’s hovering around that top 5, just begging for, ‘Please, give me a shot. Give me a shot. Give me a shot.’ So, I think this has got to be his coming-out party.”

Mateusz Gamrot is not just battling at Rio to move closer to title contention. He will be at Charles Oliveira’s house, and if history serves us right, Brazilian fans can really be a tough crowd. Despite the challenging task ahead of him, Gamrot seems pretty composed and welcomes the hostility that he may face when he steps inside the Octagon.

Gamrot is ready to step into enemy territory for UFC Rio

Fighting a Brazilian in Brazil has always been a tough task for UFC fighters. It is easy to crumble under the pressure that the crowd puts on them, yelling “Uh Vai Morrer!” They always show up for their own fighters on most occasions, and for someone like Charles Oliveira, who is undefeated while competing under the UFC banner on his home soil, the pop could make a mark on the Richter scale.

For Mateusz Gamrot, fighting in someone else’s backyard is nothing new. After all, he has competed in most of his UFC fights in the United States. He not only wants to get past the finishing line but also enjoys the opportunity of competing against a highly decorated veteran. “Of course, this is special, but this is not the first time I will fight in enemy territory. Every time when I hear ‘Boo! Boo!,’ this is more motivation and power for me… I’m happy I can come to Rio, enjoy time here, and fight with a Brazilian legend,” Gamrot told UFC.com.

In just a few short days, we’ll have the answers surrounding the future of Mateusz Gamrot and the lightweight title scene. It is an exciting fight between two top contenders, and the Polish star has already spoken about his strategy ahead of this weekend. What do you think? Who do you have your money on?