Can Mateusz Gamrot break Fiziev’s impenetrable takedown defense?
The second half of the main event of UFC Vegas 79 will feature Mateusz Gamrot. He will be taking on Rafael Fiziev and has a tough task ahead of him. Gamrot, the Polish ADCC European champion, has a tough task in dealing with Fiziev’s 90% take down defense. Being so reliant on the takedown, Gamrot will have to find a way to take down the stone wall of Fiziev if he hopes to win the fight.
Mateusz Gamrot: The takedown is the key
https://youtu.be/_it1hrR79tU?si=t-30pZy1l5NmIl86
Mateusz Gamrot is the more experienced fighter going into UFC Vegas 79. But Fiziev has fought just as good of competition in the UFC, if not better.
The equation to this fight is quite simple. If Gamrot gets the fight to the ground, he wins. If he cannot get the fight to the ground, Fiziev wins. Expect lots and lots of takedown shots from Gamrot. His approach is to cast a wide net and get a few takedowns.
Another issue for Gamrot is keeping the fight on the ground. When he gets takedowns, there is a tendency to give fighters enough space to let them get up. This is counter intuitive for Gamrot at UFC Vegas 79.
For Gamrot, getting the fight to the ground and keeping it there sounds simple enough. But Fiziev has fended off many takedown attempts, notably from Rafael Dos Anjos. He’s strong in the clinch and has a good eye for ways to stay on the feet.
What Gamrot does different from Dos Anjos is his chain wrestling. If he can put together a string of takedown attempts, switching from double to single leg takedowns, coming up on body locks, and going behind Fiziev, he can win the fight. Again, that’s easier said than done and Gamrot will have to weather the storm of strikes coming his way as he ducks in for a takedown. Knees, uppercuts, and crosses will surely come back his way.
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