Paweł Wyrobek: Considering the whole envelope of this fight, was it the craziest three weeks of your career?

Mateusz Gamrot: I think so. It was three very intense weeks. I visited many countries during this period, but I think it paid off in the end. The stakes were very high, the risks were very high, but as soon as I passed each of these tests, I am finally very satisfied.

Now we know what the situation looked like. You were in Spain, got a fight offer, flew to the US, Canada on the way. Could you describe a bit behind the scenes?

At the time I was offered this fight, I had no thought at all about preparing or taking the fight. I was in a camp in Spain at the invitation of the best grapplers in Europe. I was playing ju-jitsu there, perfecting my technique, until one evening a text message arrived from my manager in the United States. I woke up in the morning, I saw a fight from my opponent and I said: ok, I take it. This meant that the same night I had to pack my bags, return to Poland, repack my bags there and fly to the United States. I stayed there for two days after my arrival and suddenly my manager says that I don’t have a work visa. From this moment, the process of finding this visa began. The UFC sought a consulate in the United States and was only successful in Canada. I had to fly from Florida for three days and then went to Vegas. In all this madness, everything was fine.

The fight hasn’t happened yet, but there have already been a lot of amazing situations. You said you weren’t even thinking about competing and preparing for a fight back then. So what was the deciding factor? The fact that it was such a prestigious gala with the return of Jon Jones, did you have somewhere in your mind that if the proposal appeared, you would definitely consider it?

First of all, the main factor that decided to fight this fight was the thirst to win. It pushes me to function normally in everyday life. I’m addicted to winning and competing. After the last fight I didn’t go on vacation, but after three days I came back to the club and started training hard waiting for the next offer. There were more of those factors because when I spoke to my manager he said that one, stylistically the opponent is perfect for me, two, he’s a rising star in the organization, three, a powerful gala that will be watched by the whole world. It was also about staying active, meaning not having a long period without a fight. I’m a regular competitor, which the organization likes too. I build my position and through that I will push myself up.

It’s about the fight now. Did you have the chance to see this duel or do you only remember the octagon?

I haven’t had any luck yet, I only remember him from the octagon, but immediately after the fight there was a lot of talk and analysis. It seems like I remember it every moment, although after watching it, I’m sure there will be a different observation about it.

Which score are you closest to? Three judges scored the fight differently.

Fortunately, I’m not a judge and I don’t have to score. And whether it’s a unanimous decision or not, I’m less interested as a player. To me, victory is victory. I’m an athlete and I strive to win fights, and how that happened is not a big deal to me. I am satisfied. I think I won every round.

Where would you place Jalin Turner in the hierarchy? Was the duel with him in your top 3 toughest fights, or if it wasn’t for the circumstances of the short preparation period, it might have been an easier fight?

I don’t know. If I had had a normal pre-season, he would have approached it differently too. I would definitely have more stamina, so the intensity of the fight on my part could be higher. It was a tough fight, I expected to finish it before time, but it turned out differently. I felt a huge improvement in his skills, he has evolved a lot from previous fights. My wife and I are very interested in what he will do next in the octagon.

You are still in seventh position in the standings, but what you have won in the eyes of the federation is invaluable in this category.

My position in the standings is very satisfactory for me at the moment. I really feel like I’ve gained a lot. Sean Shelby came up to me three times before the fight and thanked me for saving her. Turner himself said no one had wanted to agree to this match before. By winning this fight, I gained a lot of respect in the eyes of others.

You said you deserved to fight someone in the top five. Who would you like to face?

You have to wait for the players to become available. To be honest, I don’t care which fighter I have to face.

There is light at the end of the tunnel that the UFC gala will return to Poland next year. I understand that you have no doubt that there will be a place for you in such an event?

The employees themselves approached me and told me that there are such plans. They even gave potential names of people who could fight there. Of course, we are talking about the Poles. It seems to me that the UFC is actually on the verge of returning to our country and there is a high probability that it will happen.