Mateusz Gamrot calls for 'easier' rematch with Arman Tsarukyan should he beat Dan Hooker at UFC 305

Mateusz Gamrot sees his matchup with Dan Hooker at UFC 305 as a stiff test but is eyeing a bigger fight in his future should he pick up his fourth straight win on Saturday.

Although the No. 5 ranked lightweight contender called Hooker a "tough opponent," he foresees himself getting a finish at UFC 305 to set himself up for an interim title fight. If Islam Makhachev is unable to fight by the end of the year, Gamrot desires a rematch with Arman Tsarukyan for the 155-pound interim championship.

"If Islam Makhachev cannot fight this year, for sure I want to fight with Arman [Tsarukyan] again," Gamrot said at UFC 305 media day . "I already beat him. He's stylistically great for me. I think the fight will be easier than the first time."

"His style is great for me," Gamrot continued. "He's shorter than me. We have a story. I really like [my chances] with this guy. Of course, he's No. 1 in the rankings; he's a really tough opponent... I think the next fight [I have] with Arman, I can finish him."

Through nine fights in the UFC, Gamrot has received two Fight of the Night bonuses, one being from his five-round technical dogfight with Tsarukyan in June 2022. The back-and-forth affair was widely recognized as one of the best fights of the year and caused many to believe in the potential both fighters had in the division.

Gamrot won three rounds on all three judges' scorecards to get the win by unanimous decision but was hotly contested by the general public. Most acknowledged that the fight was a battle of inches but 15 of the 22 media outlets scored the fight in favor of Tsarukyan on MMA Decisions .

While Gamrot does have the win over Tsarukyan on his record, claiming he would "easily" finish the 27-year-old in a rematch is a bold take considering the competitiveness of their first fight and the wins 'Alkhalkalakets' has picked up since then. Gamrot would stumble in his next outing to Beneil Dariush, but has won his ensuing three fights. Meanwhile, Tsarukyan has gone on a four-fight win streak following their meeting including a win over Dariush and former champion Charles Oliveira.

Gamrot also does not have a legitimate finish on his record since 2021 when he forced Diego Ferreira to tap out to strikes. Eleven of his 24 career victories have been by decision — 46 percent — and if anything, Tsarukyan was closer to finishing the first fight between the two with a knockdown in the fourth round .

However, if Gamrot can finish Hooker in the way he predicts, the odds of him delivering on his forecast will increase significantly.