Charles do Bronx points to the positive side of replacing opponents at UFC Rio: 'Anyone who likes fighting knows that'

Charles do Bronx is a former UFC champion. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram

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Charles do Bronx is confident that the change of opponent will not affect his performance at UFC Rio, scheduled for October 11th. The Brazilian was originally scheduled to face Rafael Fiziev , but an injury forced the Muay Thai specialist to withdraw from the fight. Now, the former champion will face Mateusz Gamrot , a high-level grappler. Despite the technical difference, Charles sees the positive side of the substitution.

In an interview with 'Ag Fight,' the São Paulo native explained that, although he was preparing for a completely different fighting style, the change ended up being beneficial. This is because, unlike Fiziev, who prioritizes striking, Gamrot is a fighter who seeks grappling, precisely Do Bronx's strength.

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"Anyone who likes fighting knows this, that these are fighters with completely different styles. One guy comes from striking and another who strikes a little, but the style is all about the ground, grappling, suffocating, and sticking with you. So that's what I meant. But if you weigh it up, it's good for me. You'll be putting down a guy who's a great finisher, which in this case is me. He'll put me down. I respect him, I appreciate him coming to fight in Brazil, but it's a good game for me," said Do Bronx.

Despite his confidence in his ground game, the former champion admits that he still needs some adjustments to arrive 100% prepared for the octagon.

“When the fight was scheduled, there were 17 days left. So we have 17 days to change our strategy. Fiziev wasn't going to take me down in any way; he only wanted to stay standing. Now we have a guy who lands some punches, but tries to take me down. So we're going to change our strategy, focus more, focus on wrestling and jiu-jitsu to always be ready,” concluded Charles do Bronx.

Charles do Bronx threatened to leave UFC Rio

Mateusz Gamrot is a candidate to face Charles do Bronx at UFC Rio (Photo: Montage/SUPER LUTAS)

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Coming off a traumatic and brutal loss to Ilia Topuria in the main event of UFC 317 at the end of June, the Brazilian was keen to perform in front of the Brazilian crowd. However, after Fiziev's withdrawal, he even considered leaving the card if the new opponent didn't fit his strategy. In this context, the Polish fighter repeatedly taunted the Brazilian through social media, even questioning his confidence in his grappling skills.

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