Mateusz Gamrot is confident he can submit Beneil Dariush if they end up on the mat at UFC 280 this Saturday.
Speaking to reporters at the UFC 280 media day, Gamrot paid tribute to his opponent, saying, “Beneil is good everywhere“. He then continued by saying, “I’m a wrestler, and jiu-jitsu is my DNA. We meet in the ground, and I am sure that I finish him on the ground.” His comments may come as a surprise to those who believe that Dariush’s best path to victory is via submission.
Dariush is a grappling specialist. Whilst just 8 of his 21 wins have come by way of submission, it is clear from watching his fights that his grappling is his strongest asset. But his whole game will have to be on point against the dangerous Mateusz Gamrot. He is 4-1 since joining the UFC, showing all the attributes which made him a two-weight world champion in KSW.
A Worthy Opponent
No matter how confident he is in his ground game, Gamrot should not overlook Dariush. He’s unbeaten in his last seven fights and was most recently scheduled to fight one-half of the main event in Islam Makhachev. Unfortunately, Dariush suffered an injury forcing the fight to be cancelled. This is a clear indication that the UFC see him as top quality contender. He was also named as the backup fighter for the 155-pound title fight before the featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski replaced him. News which came as a surprise to Dariush.
Title Eliminator?
The snubbing to be the backup might not be such a bad thing. Now Dariush can focus solely on this key matchup in the lightweight division, which catapults the winner into the mix for a title shot especially if Oliveira regains his belt. If that happens, and Dariush is victorious, too, he will be the only fighter in the top 5. Oliveira has yet to best. On the other hand, if Gamrot wins, he also emerges as a top contender. Whoever wins this intriguing matchup should be first in line to challenge for the lightweight title once Oliveira and Volkanovski attempt to make history in early 2023.
How do you see this fight playing out? Let us know who you are picking in the comments section!
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
