UFC veteran Mateusz Gamrot knows that Quillan Salkilld has a lot of momentum – but he isn’t focused on that.

When you talk about fighters who have been a consistent presence in the UFC’s lightweight division, Mateusz Gamrot is one that comes to mind. In recent years he has been able to pick up some great wins at 155 pounds, but in equal measure, he has also had a handful of notable setbacks.

In the mind of Mateusz Gamrot, though, he is still more than capable of making a run for a title shot. If he’s going to do that, he absolutely needs to pick up the win over Salkilld when they collide on Saturday.

In a recent interview, Mateusz Gamrot spoke openly about how he sees this fight playing out.

Mateusz Gamrot is locked in

“I feel like world champ, brother,” Gamrot told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 284 media day. “I have nice number in the ranking and everyone wants to take my number. I understand this position. OK. I invite you to cage. Let’s fight. I’m happy to fight against Quillan because his style is perfect for me.”

“He’s a dangerous kid,” Gamrot said. “He’s tall, young. He looks strong. Kick-heavy style. I need to be careful. But I love when he try taking people to the ground. He’s used some wrestling stuff. I hope he’s going to keep the same strategy for me because there’s going to be lots of scrambles and non-stop action. I love when people try to take me down to the ground. There’s a lot of hype around him, but to be honest, I don’t care. I know what I bring to the table.” Quotes via MMA Junkie

Gamrot is experienced, he’s hungry, and he knows some will be viewing him as a stepping stone here – which is why this is a must-watch fight tomorrow night.

Quillan has certainly faced some tough competition, but under the bright lights of a main event spot, it will be interesting to see how he fares. As they say, pressure makes diamonds, so can the Australian really shine through?

Ian Shutts

A combat sports journalist specialising in MMA, Boxing and Muay Thai with a special interest in Asian combat sports.