Mateusz Gamrot expressed his readiness to face Diego Lopes in the lightweight division following his recent performance. Gamrot stated this marks the second time he has fought an unranked opponent and proved he deserves to be ranked. He emphasized his frustration at not being matched with top-ranked fighters, demanding the UFC give him someone from the top of the division. The post praised his performance as an excellent fight, though specific details about the bout were not provided.
Mateusz Gamrot made his intentions clear after his performance at UFC 327 on April 12, calling out Diego Lopes and demanding the UFC place him against a top-ranked lightweight contender.
Gamrot, the tenth-ranked lightweight, improved to 26-4-0 with the win and voiced open frustration at being matched with unranked opposition for the second time. The 35-year-old Polish southpaw out of American Top Team argued the result proves he belongs in high-stakes matchups at the top of the 155-pound division. Standing five-foot-ten with a 70-inch reach, Gamrot is one of the more complete fighters in the lightweight rankings, averaging 5.15 takedowns per 15 minutes alongside 3.29 significant strikes landed per minute at 51 percent accuracy.
The fighter he named, Diego Lopes, currently competes at featherweight, where he holds the seventh ranking with a record of 28-8-0. The 31-year-old Brazilian, who trains out of Lobo Gym MMA, is an orthodox striker standing five-foot-eleven with a 72-inch reach. Lopes brings volume and submission threat to any fight, landing 3.83 significant strikes per minute and averaging 1.4 submission attempts per 15 minutes, though his takedown output is considerably lower than Gamrot's at 0.88 per 15 minutes.
Why it matters
- Gamrot's callout comes with legitimate ranking leverage as the UFC's tenth-ranked lightweight seeking upward mobility
- A potential cross-division matchup with Lopes would pit Gamrot's elite grappling volume against a well-rounded featherweight threat moving up in weight
- If the UFC obliges, the bout would have clear implications for the upper half of the lightweight rankings
