UFC Fight Night 228 Aftermath: Gamrot ‘Wins’

“UFC Vegas 79” featured a main event that was chock-full of promise but ended prematurely via injury. Mateusz Gamrot may have gotten the win, but Rafael Fiziev didn’t lose, if that makes any sense. But in two rounds of action, we got some fun stuff, and we can work with that. In today’s edition of Aftermath, we are looking at Gamrot’s chain wrestling and what makes Fiziev such a fun fighter on the feet. Let’s dive in.

Fiziev: Punching Up the Ladder

While the fight lasted, Fiziev looked good as usual on the feet. He switched stances and landed shots up high and down low, keeping Gamrot guessing. His takedown defense was also better than most. In Beforemath, we made a big deal out of Fiziev’s 90% takedown defense. “Ataman” manages to stop takedowns more than a muay thai fighter is thought to be able to do. He managed to prevent a takedown at the end of the first round, though he was likely saved by the bell.

Referencing that Beforemath column again, much was made of Fiziev’s variety of strikes. Routinely he will go to the legs, body and head all in one combination. That was very obviously the game plan against Gamrot as well. As mentioned by Dominick Cruz on the broadcast, Fiziev often led to the body so Gamrot couldn’t duck underneath the punches and get to his hips.

This is something that Fiziev does well all the time. An opponent enters (1) with a long weapon, usually a jab, and he slips to the outside of the punch. He plants down and (2) fires a left to the body, (3) a right to the body, and (4) another left up top. This is the exact same combination with which he caught Rafael dos Anjos in the fifth round of his last win. Going down low will naturally bring the opponent’s hands down, which opens up the last shot up top. Gamrot prepared for this and, while his hands drifted down, he managed to get them back up. However, Fiziev plans for this and knows that the hands go lower and the reflexes are a bit slower as the fight goes on. Sadly, he didn’t get the chance to continue this work up and down the ladder.

Unfortunately for Fiziev, his night was cut short when he came down from a right roundhouse kick and tweaked his left knee. Fiziev fell to the mat and the fight was rightfully called off. While Fiziev lost the fight, he will not have lost in the UFC brass’ eyes. It’s unlikely a rematch is next, but Fiziev will be able to get a Top 10, maybe even Top 5, matchup after he recovers from the injury. Who that may be depends on his time of recovery but look for Fiziev to get another good matchup and possibly a main event despite his loss.

Gamrot: Scrambles Make the Heart Grow Fonder

Let’s make this clear: Gamrot deserved that win despite Fiziev injuring himself off a thrown kick. Gamrot kicked the left leg four times and caused two mad scrambles that saw Fiziev turning and putting pressure on his left knee. In addition to that, no contests due to injury aren’t really a thing in MMA. Tom Aspinall, Brian Ortega and many more have been handed losses off of injuries. To claim it shouldn’t have been a win for Gamrot is simply not knowing the sport you watch.

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Referencing Beforemath for the final time, the key to victory for Gamrot was the ability to, not only shoot takedowns, starting specifically with the double leg, but to also stay in the scramble and hunt second, third, and even a fourth takedown attempt. That tuned out to be exactly what Gamrot attempted against Fiziev. At the end of the first, he grabbed a takedown and very nearly completed the attempt if it were not for the bell. And then he did the same thing earlier in the second round and completed a takedown in the steel wall that is Fiziev.

Brace yourself, this takedown chain is long and had to be broken up into two diagrams. This is one single scramble and shows the persistence and complexity of Gamrot’s wrestling attack.

We start the exchange off with (1) Rafael Fiziev throwing a left body kick out of a mirrored stance (orthodox versus orthodox). Gamrot reaches down to catch the kick but does not in time. Instead, (2) he drives into Fiziev and shoots the double leg takedown. He manages to get both hands behind the knees of Gamrot but Fiziev (3) gets the underhook and wants to pull Gamrot up. “No sweat,” the Polish fighter thinks and (4) lets it come up as he intends to pull the left leg out as he pushes across with the right arm up high. Fiziev is too agile and stays on his feet so Gamrot (5) pushes him into the fence.

Still with me?

As Fiziev (6) threatens the choke, Gamrot knows that he’s not in any real trouble from a submission threat. He is fine to hang out here for a second while he pulls Fiziev up and (7) pulls his leg out from under him to get him to his butt. Fiziev is game, (8) turns to limp-leg and scramble out, but Gamrot knows the game here. He lets Fiziev turn and stays close enough to (9) shoot again and (10) secure the takedown.

Gamrot uses the double-leg shot very frequently to initiate these scrambling exchanges. He rarely completes the takedown off the initial shot, but its real purpose is to start these long, complex scrambles where Gamrot feels he can eventually end up on top. With all the shots, as we just painstakingly went over, he is bound to find one, even against a fighter like Arman Tsarukyan who has the skills to do the exact same thing.

Because of his recent loss to Beneil Dariush, Gamrot is not close to a shot at the title, but he is now closer than he was. He didn’t necessarily win in convincing fashion but now he’s got options. There will be up-and-coming contenders coming for him and there are fighters above him like the loser between Islam Makhachev and Charles Oliveira or a Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje that Gamrot can set his sights on to compete for a title.

For both Fiziev and Gamrot, the future is bright. There were no losers in this fight. Fiziev looked great and Gamrot got the win. Fiziev will set his sights on a full recovery and Gamrot is looking at a Top 5 spot.