Charles Oliveira made a triumphant return to his home country, submitting Mateusz Gamrot with a rear-naked choke in just two minutes of the second round at UFC Fight Night in Rio de Janeiro over the weekend.
The former lightweight champion looked his best in front of a roaring Brazilian crowd at Farmasi Arena, bouncing back from his knockout loss to Ilia Topuria just 105 days earlier.
Fighting on short notice after Rafael Fiziev withdrew from the original main event, Gamrot accepted the challenge but found himself overwhelmed by Oliveira’s elite grappling.
The Polish contender entered as a slight betting favourite, but the home-country advantage and Oliveira’s experience proved decisive.
The first round saw both fighters exchange on the feet, with Oliveira landing clean punches and working his way into range.
Gamrot, who has sharp wrestling skills, struggled to implement his usual game plan against a fighter who welcomed the grappling exchanges. Oliveira only grew more confident as he controlled the distance and began to dictate how the fight went.
Round two became Oliveira’s battle. After landing several hard shots, he dragged Gamrot to the canvas and quickly transitioned to his back.
The submission specialist wasted no time, locking in the rear-naked choke that has become his calling card throughout his career. Gamrot had no answer, tapping out as the Brazilian crowd erupted in celebration.
This marked Oliveira’s 23rd UFC victory and his 20th finish inside the octagon, further cementing his reputation as one of the most dangerous fighters in the lightweight division. The 35-year-old improved his record to 36-11 and extended his record for most UFC finishes to 21 and most submissions to 17.
After the victory, Oliveira called for a BMF title fight against Max Holloway, seeking another marquee matchup to continue his climb back toward championship contention.
The win puts him back in the conversation for meaningful fights in the lightweight division and proves that his knockout loss was merely a setback rather than a sign of decline.
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