The UFC has just booked one of the most interesting lightweight main events of the summer, pitting an established top-10 contender against one of the division’s most promising knockout artists. It sounds like every fight fan’s dream. But instead, they are left outraged by its location.

Mateusz Gamrot will face rising Australian prospect Quillan Salkilld in a five-round main event in their next bout. And if you think this battle will take place in a numbered event at a grand stage, you couldn’t be more wrong.

The 5-round war has been booked to headline UFC Vegas 120 on August 8, with the bout set to take place at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas. Despite the location, on paper, this is exactly the type of contest that creates fireworks.

Mateusz Gamrot, the No. 6-ranked lightweight, will fight in his fourth UFC main event. The Polish fighter returned to the win column at UFC 327 by submitting Esteban Ribovics in the second round after losing to Charles Oliveira in the UFC Rio main event last year. Despite the setback, ‘Gamer’ remains one of the toughest fighters to go up against at 155 pounds.

He’s 9-4 in the UFC and has major wins over lightweight contenders Arman Tsarukyan, Rafael dos Anjos, Rafael Fiziev, and Jalin Turner. Now the 35-year-old will attempt to stop one of the division’s fastest-rising talents in Quillan Salkilld.

The Aussie has been nearly perfect since joining the biggest MMA promotion in the world. The 26-year-old is 5-0 in the Octagon, including four first-round knockouts and four Performance of the Night bonuses. He announced himself by knocking out Anshul Jubli in just 19 seconds before subsequently going viral for a brutal head-kick finish of Nasrat Haqparast.

However, his latest performance was the biggest yet. Quillan Salkilld knocked out veteran Beneil Dariush at UFC Perth, earning himself a place in the top 10 of the lightweight rankings (No.8) and immediately putting him in position for a huge step up.

Mateusz Gamrot is exactly that. He’s also a good grappler, which might create problems for the Aussie. For the veteran, however, this is an opportunity to defend his status in the top ten and remind everyone that getting past him remains one of the most difficult tasks in the division.

For Quillan Salkilld, a win would elevate him from an exciting prospect to a legitimate title contender almost overnight. So, it’s no surprise that fans love the matchup. But the venue? Not very much.

Fans slam the UFC for putting Mateusz Gamrot vs. Quillan Salkilld inside the Apex

Once the UFC announced the bout, fight fans didn’t have much of a problem with the matchup itself. Instead, for them, the real issue was where it would be taking place.

“A crime against humanity having this at the goddamn warehouse,” a clearly fumed fan wrote. “Yeah, let’s just put one of our most popular fighters in the Apex; sounds like a good idea,” another sarcastically added.

One had an even simpler reaction: “The fkn Apex?!”

Much of the frustration centered around Quillan Salkilld. After all, the Aussie fighter has quickly become one of the most exciting young fighters at 155 pounds.

“Why are we putting Salkilld in the Apex?” one fan asked. Another couldn’t believe the announcement either, writing, “There’s no way we’re getting this fight in the f—— Apex.”

For others, a matchup between one of the division’s most proven top-10 contenders and a fast-rising knockout artist simply deserves a proper arena. “This fight deserves a crowd imo,” one fan wrote.

It’s not the first time the UFC has scheduled a bout inside the Apex that fans believe deserves a live audience. Anderson Silva‘s farewell UFC fight against Uriah Hall back in 2020 took place inside the almost empty venue, while Dustin Poirier and Dan Hooker created an all-time lightweight classic at the Apex as well. Despite this, the UFC has continued to stage exciting matchups at the venue, to the dismay of many.

However, not everyone was complaining about the venue. Some fans were simply impressed by Mateusz Gamrot’s willingness to accept challenging fights against whoever the UFC puts in front of him.

“Gotta respect Gamrot for actually fighting everyone,” one fan wrote.

Others are already expecting the veteran contender to completely shut down Salkilld’s rise. “Gamrot masterclass incoming,” one fan predicted.

Another jokingly sent his condolences to the Aussie fighter, writing, “Quillan, you had a fun little run, my brother, but unfortunately, you’ve been sentenced to death via Gamrot.” One more fan agreed: “The run till now was beautiful Quillan, but ‘Gamer’ wins this.”

But despite the anger over the Apex, there were plenty of fans who loved the fight itself. “Great main event for an Apex card!” one wrote.

Another added, “Gamrot vs. Salkilld has all the ingredients for chaos.” One more fan chimed in with some excitement, “This one should be fun.”

So, the UFC certainly got the matchup right. Fans only wish a bout this good, especially with a prospect as exciting as Quillan Salkilld, would take place somewhere with more than a warehouse-sized crowd to watch.