Polish lightweight Mateusz Gamrot shared his perspective on living in Poland versus the United States during an appearance on the WojewódzkiKędzierski podcast. Gamrot stated that Poland is cleaner, safer, more hospitable, and in many ways more modern than America, despite Poland's political and legal issues. He cited examples such as Poland having portable payment terminals in restaurants a decade before they became common in the US. Gamrot also criticized American hospitality, recounting being invited to barbecues where he would have gone hungry had he not brought his own food, and describing American social interactions as superficial. He noted that while the US offers career advantages for athletes, daily life is not necessarily better, and his children prefer visiting their grandmother in Poland over staying in Florida. Gamrot emphasized that home in Poland allows for faster problem-solving and familiarity with local systems.
Mateusz Gamrot stepped away from fight talk during a recent appearance on the WojewódzkiKędzierski podcast, instead offering a candid comparison of life in Poland versus the United States — and his home country came out well ahead.
Gamrot, the number-ten ranked lightweight in the UFC, holds a 26-4-0 professional record and trains out of American Top Team in Florida. The 35-year-old southpaw from Poland stands five-foot-ten with a 70-inch reach and has built a reputation as one of the division's most relentless wrestlers, averaging 5.15 takedowns per 15 minutes alongside a 51 percent striking accuracy.
Despite basing much of his career in the United States, Gamrot was direct in saying that American daily life does not necessarily outpace what Poland offers. He described Poland as cleaner, safer, more hospitable, and more technologically current in some respects, pointing to portable restaurant payment terminals as one example — technology he said Poland adopted roughly a decade before it became standard in America.
Gamrot was equally blunt about American social culture. He recounted attending barbecues where he would have gone hungry without bringing his own food, and characterized everyday American interactions as surface-level rather than genuinely warm. His children, he noted, prefer visits to their grandmother in Poland over staying in Florida.
He acknowledged that the United States provides real professional advantages for fighters, but separated that practical reality from the broader question of quality of life. Back in Poland, he said, familiar systems and local knowledge make everyday problems easier and faster to solve.
Why it matters
- Gamrot remains a top-ten lightweight despite training full-time in the US, making his perspective on the tradeoffs of that lifestyle notable
- His comments reflect a recurring tension for European fighters who relocate for career reasons but maintain strong ties to home
- The interview adds a personal dimension to one of the lightweight division's more technically complete fighters, known more for mat work than media appearances
