Charles Oliveira targeted by Mateusz Gamrot’s cartoon jibe about being “afraid” of grapplers ahead of UFC Rio

Charles Oliveira (left) has expressed concerns about fighting Mateusz Gamrot (right) at UFC Rio de Janeiro. [Images courtesy: Getty Images]
Charles Oliveira (left) has expressed concerns about fighting Mateusz Gamrot (right) at UFC Rio de Janeiro. [Images courtesy: Getty Images]

Even though Charles Oliveira is left without a fight at UFC Rio de Janeiro with Rafael Fiziev sidelined by injury, he doesn't seem ready to take on Mateusz Gamrot as a replacement.

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Earlier this week, in an interview with Laerte Viana, the former lightweight champion expressed concerns about facing 'Gamer', citing that it would now be hard to tailor his game plan for the Polish grappler, since he was training for a striker all along:

"I was focused on a guy who comes from a striking background... with two weeks left until the fight, I have to change my whole game plan... [Gamrot] is a good matchup for me in a sense because he's a wrestler/grappler. But it's completely different from the style I've been training for the last month or two. It's about understanding and game-planning."
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Gamrot, however, shot down Oliveira's concerns, arguing that he hadn't even started his own training camp. The No. 8-ranked lightweight contender has since dialed up his trash talk.

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In a recent post on X, 'Gamer' poked fun at Oliveira's grappling credentials, posting a meme, suggesting that 'do Bronx' was ducking him. Gamrot wrote:

"The Lion holds the record for the most ground finishes in UFC history; he’s afraid to step in with a grappler."
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Check out Mateusz Gamrot's meme about Charles Oliveira below:

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Gamrot is 4-1 in his last five and most recently earned a unanimous decision win over Ludovit Klein at UFC Vegas 107. Oliveira, meanwhile, is coming off a knockout loss to the current pound-for-pound king, Ilia Topuria.


UFC Hall of Famer says Mateusz Gamrot "makes more sense" for Charles Oliveira

Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping believes Mateusz Gamrot is a more sensible matchup for Charles Oliveira than Rafael Fiziev.

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During a recent segment on his YouTube channel, 'The Count' addressed Gamrot accusing Oliveira of being afraid of his fighting style. As Bisping sees it, however, fighting 'Gamer' could actually benefit 'do Bronx' from a rankings perspective.

"Mateusz Gamrot probably makes more sense than Rafael Fiziev. Not from a fan-friendly style, because from a rankings perspective, Fiziev was 10, Mateusz was No.8. So, on paper, a tougher match up. [At the 6:08 minute mark in the video]"

While the UFC Hall of Famer acknowledges that Gamrot is a tough fight for anyone, He argues that Oliveira, who is coming off a KO loss, would've been under greater threat against a heavy hitter like Fiziev.

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Edited by Ujwal Jain
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