In his upcoming main event showcase in Rio de Janeiro, former lightweight champion and UFC icon Charles Oliveira has a lot riding on the line in terms of both his place as a UFC top contender, and his career as a whole.
UFC Icon Charles Oliveira Battles Mateusz Gamrot In Key Lightweight Showdown
Making the walk for the second time in 2025, UFC icon Charles Oliveira will feel right at home in the headlining match at UFC Fight Night 261, which will take place in his native country of Brazil. Originally slated to collide with Azerbaijan representative Rafael Fiziev, “Ataman” had to pull out of the card due to sustaining an injury to his knee in training camp. It was then announced that Gamrot would be filling in to take on “do Bronx” in enemy territory.
Coming off of a dominant showing against fellow European standout Ľudovít Klein this past May, Mateusz Gamrot is more than eager to prove that he has what it takes to contend for the lightweight belt. Previously, the Pole had been pegged as the backup name for the championship scrap of UFC 294 after, coincidentally, UFC icon Charles Oliveira had to withdraw from the tilt against then 155-lb gold standard Islam Makhachev. Gamrot wound up being snubbed of the opportunity when the promotion selected Alexander Volkanovski on 11 days notice to take top billing at the event instead.
Stakes Are Highest They’ve Been For UFC Icon Charles Oliveira
Stepping into his sixth main event in four years, Charles Oliveira will compete in front of his countrymen and women to much fanfare as one of the greatest lightweight mixed martial artists of all time. However, the Brazilian seemingly has everything to lose in his encounter with Gamrot, with his title hopes hinging on a crucial win this Saturday.
Last seen in the Octagon three months ago at UFC 317, he went toe-to-toe with possibly the biggest active star in the sport, Ilia Topuria. Prior to the meeting, Oliveira had gone the distance with Michael Chandler last November, besting “Iron” by unanimous decision, earning himself a shot at the throne he once sat upon in the not-so-distant past.
Although many were rooting for him to regain his strap, UFC icon Charles Oliveira was swiftly starched by the surging Spaniard after a jaw-dropping first round knockout, the first of his professional run since 2015.
Jumping back into the fire after a short break on the sidelines, Charles Oliveira resumes what he hopes to be another fruitful warpath towards the summit of the division, but now, more than ever, time is not on his side. Standing at 35 years of age, the Brazilian has been involved in mixed martial arts for nearly two whole decades. In that time, he has competed in almost 50 fights, and has taken a lot of damage, suffering nine losses by stoppage, including five by KO/TKO. This accumulation of punishment, along with his advanced age as an athlete, puts Oliveira in a precarious spot in the lightweight championship race.
By comparison, despite him being only a year younger than Oliveira, Gamrot is notable for his tendency to avoid damage, holding a 59% striking defense score. He also stands to gain a significant foothold in the lightweight top-10, with the current No. 8-ranked Pole looking to snatch the South American’s place in the top four.
Though the American Top Team product has no knockout victories to his name, he is widely viewed as one of the premier wrestlers at lightweight. This is a style of fighting that UFC icon Charles Oliveira has been shown to struggle with, as seen in his scuffle with the aforementioned Makhachev, who netted over five minutes of control time across their two-round bout.
