Gregor Gillespie is looking in incredible shape ahead of his UFC return against Brad Riddell this weekend at UFC Vegas 22. The former four-time NCAA Division I All-American wrestler, Gillespie is a nightmare match-up for any fighter in the lightweight division.
In what looked like a straight path to the lightweight championship for Gillespie after raking in six straight victories inside the UFC Octagon, Gillespie’s rise was halted by Kevin Lee as Gillespie suffered the first loss of his UFC career via a vicious head kick.
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Ahead of the match-up, Gillespie appeared alongside the Schmo and expressed his views on the lightweight division. When he was questioned about his wrestling pedigree, here’s what he had to say.
“In just a wrestling match, I think I could beat anybody in the division. You want to go on just credentials, I am lightyears past anyone else in wrestling. But again, people forget, this is a fight, not a wrestling match.”
Gregor Gillespie also explains how American wrestling or folkstyle wrestling translates better into mixed martial arts than freestyle wrestling. Gillespie argues, “Freestyle wrestling, you get the takedown, you end up on top, and if you don’t turn the guy in ten or fifteen seconds, you are back on your feet. Folkstyle wrestling, which is American wrestling, you take the guy down, you try to hold them down. He is trying to get out, you try to not return him and keep him down. Typically, the better American wrestler you are, the better it translates to wrestling.”
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Gregor Gillespie will look to make a statement as he steps inside the Octagon after recovering from a broken jaw that he suffered in his loss against Kevin Lee to once again put the division on notice.
Gregor Gillespie is a nightmare match-up for Islam Makhachev
Islam Makhchev has earned notoriety for his wrestling inside the UFC. Former dual champion Daniel Cormier has even gone on to say that Makhachev can beat Khabib in pure wrestling.
Be that as it may, one cannot deny Gillespie’s wrestling credentials and his ability to bring his grappling skills into his fight game. Gillespie has dominantly relied on his wrestling skills, raking up 14 straight victories before suffering his first loss.
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Gregor Gillespie vs Islam Makhachev is a stylistic match-up and one that will put the Dagestani fighter to a test. Should Gillespie get a win over Brad Riddell this weekend, the likelihood of this match-up happening in the near future seems like a possibility.
Do you think Gregor Gillespie can beat Islam Makhachev? Share your views in the comments section.
