Guram Kutateladze: the Georgian Viking who beat Gamrot
A striker from Tbilisi who made his name in Sweden, beat Mateusz Gamrot in his UFC debut and now fights across promotions: Guram Kutateladze's career, and what his fights show about defending takedowns.
Guram Kutateladze was born on 8 January 1992 in Tbilisi. Known as the “Georgian Viking”, he built his career in Sweden, where he is based in Malmö and trains with the Allstars team in Stockholm. His professional MMA record is 14 wins and 6 losses, and he is 2–0 under Karate Combat rules.
How he fights
Kutateladze is a striker. His background is sambo, K-1 and Muay Thai, and eight of his fourteen wins came by knockout or TKO. His only submission win was an armbar in his very first professional fight, in Tbilisi in 2010.
The UFC
His UFC debut in October 2020 was his biggest win: a split decision over Mateusz Gamrot, who went on to become one of the best lightweights in the promotion. Injuries and visa problems then kept him out for almost two years. He finished his UFC run 2–3, beating Jordan Vucenic in 2024, and left the promotion in April 2025.
Since the UFC
He has kept busy in several promotions: a first-round TKO at ACA in Dubai in October 2025, two wins under Karate Combat rules in 2026, and in September 2026 a decision loss to Jeremy Kennedy in the main event of the first VFL card in Dubai.
The grappling angle
In the UFC, opponents tried to take him down, and he stopped about three out of four attempts. He almost never shoots takedowns himself. For a striker, that defence is a big part of keeping the fight where he wants it: he can only use his hands and kicks if it stays standing.
What someone who trains three times a week can take from it
- If you strike, learn to defend the takedown. Takedown defence and getting back up are a striker’s first grappling priorities.
- Keep going through setbacks. Injuries and long breaks slowed his career down more than once. What matters is coming back ready.