UFC lightweight contender Mateusz Gamrot issued a statement following his first-round submission loss to Quillan Salkilld at UFC Vegas 120.
Gamrot was finished with a rear-naked choke in the first round by the Australian rising star Salkilld, who is 6-0 in the UFC with five finishes.
Following the event, Gamrot took to his social media to react to the loss.
Mateusz Gamrot Statement Following UFC Vegas 120
Read the statement below that Gamrot wrote on his Instagram, translated into English from his native Polish.
“I lost. But this defeat doesn’t end my story. I’ve been on this path for years, and it has taught me that sport—like life—doesn’t always give us what we work so hard for. Sometimes, instead of victory, we get a lesson. Sometimes, instead of a raised hand in triumph, we face a silence that forces us to look deeper within ourselves. I’ve been at the top. I’ve been at the bottom. I’ve won, I’ve lost, I’ve fallen, and I’ve bounced back. And that is exactly why I know my journey isn’t over yet. You might beat me on a given night, but you can’t take away my belief, my character, or my fighting spirit. I believe great moments still lie ahead of me. Future chapters I haven’t written yet,” Gamrot wrote.
“Because a person isn’t defined by defeat. They are defined by what they do after they lose. You can stay on the ground, or you can get back up. I will get back up! With my head held high. With belief in myself. With gratitude for the journey I’ve traveled so far, and a hunger for what’s still to come. Because as long as you keep moving forward, the story goes on. And truly—thank you to all the real fans for your support and the love you’ve shown me; together until the end.”
What’s Next for Mateusz Gamrot?
Following the loss to Salkilld, Gamrot dropped to No. 9 in the Meta UFC Rankings, so the defeat certainly hurt his stock in the rankings, though he is still ranked in the top 10.
For his next fight, the UFC will likely give him someone who is ranked underneath him. For instance, they could book him against Tom Nolan, an up-and-coming lightweight on a win streak who is deserving of a big step up in competition.
While Gamrot is still one of the best fighters in the weight class, he is now 35 years old, so it is fair to say that he is on the backend of his career and unlikely to get back into title contention given that he has lost two of his last three fights, to Salkilld and to Charles Oliveira, with a submission win over Esteban Ribovics sandwiched in between.
Look for Gamrot to potentially get back into the Octagon by the end of the year, but if he wants to take some more time off after this loss to Salkilld, perhaps he could step back into the cage in early 2027 instead after resting and recovering.
Mateusz Gamrot Issues Statement Following UFC Vegas 120 Loss