Mateusz Gamrot was looking good to begin with, so the fact arguably the biggest win of his career will have an asterisk next to it seems a little unfair.
Gamrot (23-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) got the victory over Rafael Fiziev (12-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) in a crucial lightweight fight when Fiziev threw a right kick that landed on Gamrot’s elbow. But right after the kick hit, Fiziev winced and dropped to the canvas. The broadcast speculation watching doctors work on Gamrot’s left leg – not the right foot – was he injured his knee while planting to throw the kick.
The TKO finish came at the 2:03 mark of the second round and gave Gamrot, a slight underdog coming into the fight, his second straight win. Then Gamrot said he’s ready for a top-five opponent before he’s ready for a title shot – and called out former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira, who is fighting champ Islam Makhachev in a month at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi.
The fight was competitive up to that point, though it seemed clear Gamrot was getting the better of things. He landed a takedown and had a minute of control time. But because of the injury, Fiziev never got a chance to get started – and now has dropped back-to-back fights after a six-fight winning streak. He was helped out of the cage before the official result was read.
An unfortunate end to #UFCVegas79, but @Gamer_MMA is walking away with the win tonight. pic.twitter.com/JqOAXpdfB7
— UFC (@ufc) September 24, 2023
Fiziev had to be helped out of the Octagon after his injury #UFCVegas79 pic.twitter.com/wJDS0RzqPj
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) September 24, 2023
Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 228 results include:
- Mateusz Gamrot def. Rafael Fiziev via TKO (injury) – Round 2, 2:03
- Bryce Mitchell def. Dan Ige via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Marina Rodriguez def. Michelle Waterson-Gomez via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 2:42
- Bryan Battle def. A.J. Fletcher via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 4:32
- Charles Jourdain vs. Ricardo Ramos via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 3:12
- Miles Johns def. Dan Argueta via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Miles Johns def. Dan Argueta via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Tim Means def. Andre Fialho via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 1:15
- Cody Brundage def. Jacob Malkoun via disqualification (illegal strike) – Round 1, 4:15
- Mohammed Usman def. Jake Collier via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Mizuki Inoue def. Hannah Goldy via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Montserrat Rendon def. Tamires Vidal via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 228.
