Mateusz Gamrot isn’t one to wait for opportunity; he creates it. When news broke that Rafael Fiziev was injured and Charles Oliveira needed a new opponent for UFC Rio, the Polish contender didn’t hesitate. Before the UFC even called, Gamrot texted his manager and booked a flight to Florida. Destination? American Top Team. Mission? The biggest fight of his career.

Now, with just days to go before October 11, Gamrot stands on the brink of history. A win over Oliveira could vault him into title contention, a goal he’s chased since his KSW days as a two-division champion. But how did the fighter from Poland’s wrestling mats end up under the bright lights of UFC Rio, and what role has coach Mike Brown played in his rise? Let’s break down the story behind ‘Gamer’s’ evolution from wrestling prodigy to world-class contender!

Mateusz Gamrot’s Wrestling Roots with Coach Andrzej Koscielski

Combat sports have been a part of Mateusz Gamrot’s life ever since he was 10 years old! Stepping onto the wrestling mat when he was in middle school, the Polish UFC star eventually found himself joining the national wrestling team where he was a stand-out, winning medals in the junior and youth championships. In 2011, he started training in mixed martial arts and just a year later, he made his professional MMA debut.

In the early days of his career, Mateusz Gamrot honed his craft under the watchful eyes of world champion wrestler Andrzej Koscielski. Koscielski didn’t just coach the Polish talent. He also took him under his wing, guiding him through the rough and tumble of the MMA world. Later, he joined Mike Brown at ATT (American Top Team).

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The first major result of their successful collaboration came when Gamrot made his mark in KSW, Poland’s premier MMA promotion. Here, Gamrot conquered both the lightweight and featherweight titles, becoming their ‘champ champ.’ His dominance in KSW set the stage for his invitation to the UFC. In 2020, ‘Gamer’ signed with the UFC, and there has been no looking back since.

American Top Team & Coach Mike Brown- The Perfect Partnership

With an 8-3 record in the UFC, Gamrot’s elite skills are undeniable, but there’s more to that story. It’s not just talent that has taken him this far. In 2018, before he joined the UFC, Gamrot was already training with coach Mike Brown and the ATT team. He shared a post via Instagram that read, “Thank you very much Coach @mikebrownmma and @stevemocco for the help and support of the competition! It helped us a lot! Big thanks! I would like to dedicate my 🥈 medal to Mike Brown, Steve Mocco and whole great ATT team!”

Mike Brown is a former WEC featherweight champion. In 2010, as a part of the WEC/UFC merger, Brown joined the UFC roster. While he didn’t reach the heights of his WEC run, Brown was a dangerous and cerebral opponent inside the Octagon. His skills made him one of the most sought-after trainers in the world of MMA.

For Brown, a strategist known for molding champions, Gamrot was a perfect fit, disciplined, driven, and relentless. Brown’s understanding of fight IQ and Gamrot’s grappling pedigree blended seamlessly. Together, they sharpened his transitions, refined his striking, and built a fighter capable of thriving in the UFC’s most competitive division.

That partnership now faces its biggest test. When Gamrot got the call to replace Fiziev and face Oliveira, Brown was ready. Training camp at ATT turned into a sprint, short notice, high stakes, but full confidence. And as evidenced by the roster of ATT fighters, Mateusz Gamrot has no shortage of elite training partners to prepare for his fights!

Elite Training Partners: Dustin Poirier, Bo Nickal & More ATT Stars

In 2001, Dan Lambert and former Brazilian Top Team members, ‘Conan’ Silveira, Marcelo Silveira, and Ricardo Liborio founded the American Top Team gym. The establishment has since produced multiple championship-caliber fighters throughout its history. ATT has built a dream team of coaches, including King Mo Lawal, who’s known for his MMA expertise, and Thiago Alves, a striking coach with serious skills and a former UFC welterweight title contender.

Other notable names associated with the gym include the likes of Dustin Poirier, Alexandre Pantoja (current UFC flyweight champion), Kyoji Horiguchi, Edson Barboza, and more. ATT is also home to former BMF champion and 2-time welterweight title challenger Jorge Masvidal. while former simultaneous two-weight UFC champion Amanda Nunes, and three-time UFC title challenger Colby Covington, also used to train there.

Rising UFC middleweight fighter, Bo Nickal is also on the list of fighters who train out of ATT. In a past interview with James Lynch, Gamrot had revealed, “Sometimes we meet in American Top Team, we train together, he is wrestler, I am wrestler too and we have the same vibes, you know.”
From a boy on the mats of Poland to a man standing opposite Charles Oliveira in Rio, Mateusz Gamrot’s journey has been nothing short of cinematic.

Wrestling built him, Koscielski shaped him, and Brown refined him. Now, it all converges in one night. As he recently confessed to Ariel Helwani, “I can’t wait for this. Every day I wake up, I’m crying, but the crying, this is my motivation. This is my extra energy, extra vibes, because this is one of the biggest fights in my life. I know how it’s a risk, but if I [get] past Oliveira next weekend, bro, this going to be [a] big open door in my MMA [career].”