Mateusz Gamrot knows he’s doing a tough job in front of him this weekend, but he wants to eventually share an octagon with Paddy Pimblett.
Gamrot will face Ludovit Klein in the co-main event of Saturday’s UFC Vegas 107 event at UFC Apex. The former KSW champion is aiming to bounce back from the loss of zero split by Dan Hooker in a fight at UFC 305 this July.
Since Gamrot’s latest battle, there have been many changes in the lightweight division. Islam Makhachev left his lightweight belt and moved to welterweight, while Ilia Topuria faced Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 and surged the pinblet following a stop victory at Michael Chandler at UFC 314.
“The lightweight division is the most dangerous division and the best division,” Gamrot told MMA Fighting. “I move a few things every month (and) Islam, I’m not surprised he’s rising. He beat everyone out of the lightweight division, so he wants to get a second belt.
“But Paddy Pinblett, I don’t like this guy. He does too much and he has a really easy way to become this place where he is a star.
“To me, to be honest, I’m focusing on this fight right now. I want to win and be active this year. I want to go for the next fight.
Pinblet stopped Chandler in the third round and pounded malicious ground and pound in the UFC’s April pay-per-view. The performance of “baddy” opened many eyes, but that’s mainly due to the opposite, as Gamrot wasn’t surprised that the fight went as well.
“It was a good performance, but when the front (of the fighter) is behind (going) and the guy doing nothing (going) doing (going), you’ve always left a good performance behind,” Gamrot said. “(Best) Chandler was like five or seven years ago. But now the guy was so easy for him. I think Chandler is so easy for anyone in the lightweight division now.
“But I still think he’s an easy fight. If Paddy Pinblett gets a really good, high-level opponent, he’s going to have a problem with the fight.”
Gamrot’s defeat to Hooker attacked a three-fought winning streak, and he entered the Octagon 7-2 on Saturday on the past nine outings. Gamrot faces Klein. Klein quietly put together a seven-game unbeaten streak.
For Gamrot, he is hoping for a massive campaign in 2025, starting with a victory over Klein. Ultimately, he wants to go to a fight with Pinblett and show the fans that the rising stars may not be as good as they think.
“(I think it’s a nightmare for him),” Gamlott said. “I want to see him in the octagon, and in the future I think this will happen. He is now (love), but he is a great style (fight) for me with a grappler. When I meet him, this will be a great fight, but I will finish him on the ground.
“My previous enemy has always been a striker, so for my previous enemy, the ground is fire and you can show my best on the ground.