Mateusz Gamrot shared his perspective on living in Poland versus the United States on a podcast. He noted that Poland is cleaner, safer, and in many everyday aspects more modern than America, citing examples like contactless payment technology arriving years earlier in Poland. Gamrot also criticized American culture as less hospitable, recounting experiences where he was expected to bring his own food to barbecues and found conversations superficial. While acknowledging the USA offers advantages for his sports career, he emphasized that quality of life is not necessarily better there. His children also expressed preference for returning home to Poland despite being surrounded by beaches and palm trees in Florida.
Mateusz Gamrot has spoken candidly about life in Poland versus the United States, making clear that despite building his fighting career stateside, he considers his home country superior in many day-to-day respects.
The lightweight contender, ranked tenth in the UFC's 155-pound division, made the remarks on a recent podcast appearance. Gamrot, who is 35 years old and fights out of American Top Team in Florida, holds a professional record of 26-4-0 and is one of Poland's most prominent active fighters on the global MMA stage.
Speaking on the podcast, Gamrot argued that Poland is cleaner, safer, and more technologically advanced in certain everyday areas than the United States. He pointed to contactless payment technology as a specific example, noting that Poland adopted it years before America did. He also took aim at American social culture, describing barbecue invitations where guests were expected to bring their own food and characterizing many conversations as superficial compared to what he is accustomed to back home.
Gamrot acknowledged that the United States provides clear professional advantages for his career, but pushed back against the assumption that American life automatically means a higher quality of living. Perhaps most telling, he noted that his own children have expressed a preference for returning to Poland, even while surrounded by the beaches and palm trees of Florida.
Why it matters
- Gamrot offers a rare, detailed fighter perspective on the trade-offs of relocating to the United States for a combat sports career
- His comments reflect a broader conversation about whether training hubs like American Top Team are worth the lifestyle adjustments for international athletes
- As a top-ten lightweight with a 26-4-0 record and an elite takedown rate of 5.15 per fifteen minutes, Gamrot's long-term base of operations could have implications for his career trajectory
