UFC lightweight Mateusz Gamrot shared his perspective on living in Poland versus the United States during an appearance on the "WojewódzkiKędzierski" podcast. Gamrot stated that despite Poland's governmental issues, the country is cleaner, safer, and in many ways more technologically advanced than America. He noted that portable payment terminals, which Americans treated as a novelty, had been standard in Poland for over a decade. Gamrot criticized American hospitality as superficial and recounted experiences where he had to bring his own food to barbecues. He emphasized that while the US offers career advantages for athletes, quality of life is not necessarily better, and even his children prefer being in Poland with their grandmother over Florida beaches.
UFC lightweight Mateusz Gamrot used a recent podcast appearance to offer a candid take on life in Poland versus the United States, arguing that his home country holds its own — and often surpasses America — on matters of cleanliness, safety, and modern infrastructure.
Gamrot, ranked tenth in the lightweight division, made the remarks on the "WojewódzkiKędzierski" podcast. The 35-year-old from Poland, who trains out of American Top Team, holds a professional record of 26 wins and 4 losses and has built a reputation as one of the more technically complete fighters in a stacked 155-pound weight class. Standing five-foot-ten with a 70-inch reach, he averages 3.29 significant strikes landed per minute at 51 percent accuracy, and his 5.15 takedowns per 15 minutes ranks among the highest in the division.
Despite basing his fighting career in the United States, Gamrot made clear that professional opportunity and quality of life are not the same thing. He pointed to portable payment terminals as a concrete example, noting that technology Americans treated as a novelty had been routine in Poland for more than a decade. He was also critical of what he described as surface-level American hospitality, recounting situations where guests were expected to bring their own food to social gatherings. Most pointedly, he said his own children preferred time with their grandmother in Poland over Florida beaches.
Why it matters
- Gamrot's comments reflect a broader conversation among international athletes about the trade-offs of basing careers in the United States
- As a top-ten lightweight training at American Top Team, his perspective carries weight given how deeply embedded he is in American fight culture
- The remarks add a personal dimension to the profile of a fighter who has steadily climbed one of the UFC's most competitive divisions while maintaining strong ties to Poland
