Whatever happened to Gregor Gillespie?
It's been five years since Gregor Gillespie has set foot inside the octagon, and it's unlikely he'll ever return, leaving his quiet departure from the UFC shrouded in mystery, though there are still clues that hint toward what may have caused him to step away.
Gregor Gillespie was once one of the best wrestlers in the world. That skillset allowed him to successfully transition to MMA, where he embarked on a stunning undefeated run all the way into the UFC. Big things were expected of him, but after a crushing loss and a return two years too late, he just vanished, never to be seen again.
The Gregor Gillespie hype train
Before making the decision to pursue MMA, Gregor Gillespie was making a name for himself as a collegiate wrestler, becoming a four-time NCAA Division I All-American, and an NCAA Division I wrestling champion in 2007. Along the way, he also became a three-time EWL and PSAC conference champion. With the common notion that wrestling was, and still is, considered the best base for MMA, it made all the sense in the world for Gillespie to take a swing at it. He was strong, explosive, and blessed with finishing instincts that just can't be taught. 'The Gift' made his professional debut in early 2014 and got off to a flying start. Soon, he was running through his competition, racking up seven straight wins and six finishes.
So, the UFC came knocking and Gillspie answered. His first fight in the promotion was at UFC Fight Night 95. At first, there wasn't much fanfare regarding his promotional debut. Not only was he booked for the opening fight of the early prelims, facing an unknown Glaico Franรงa that even hardcore fans won't recognize, but nearly every fight on the card was overshadowed by the main event, which featured the highly anticipated UFC debut of WMMA legend Cris Cyborg. So, fans could be forgiven for having not paid much attention to the first bout of the early prelims. Regardless, they missed a wrestling clinic from Gillespie, who used his takedowns and pressure to score a unanimous decision win and improve to 8-0.
Gillespie followed his successful UFC debut by finishing his next five opponents, showcasing relentless takedowns, suffocating top control, vicious ground-and-pound, and an eye for submissions to boot. He was no slouch on the feet either, willing to trade in the pocket, where his punches had a surprising amount of sting for a lifelong grappler.
With a 13-0 record, he finally got his big break when the UFC booked him for UFC 244. It marked the first and last time that Gillespie would fight on the main card of a pay-per-view. With a large wave of casual fans tuning in to watch the first-ever BMF title fight between Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz, both superstars in 2019, the main card would need a banger fight for the opener.
The UFC enlisted the services of former interim lightweight title challenger Kevin Lee to face the undefeated Gillespie. It was a sensible bout from a matchmaker's standpoint, at least if building Gillespie up was the goal. Lee was a high-profile name, but was also on a losing streak, having been outhustled in a unanimous decision loss by perennial overachiever Al Iaquinta in their rematch at UFC on Fox 31, then submitted by ex-lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos in round four at UFC Fight Night 152. Prior to those bouts, both 'Raging Al' and 'RDA' were coming off losses of their own, so if they could beat Lee, why not Gillespie? What could go wrong?
As it turns out, everything.
Gregor Gillespie's career ends with a whimper
At UFC 244, Kevin Lee came out with a very low stance to counter Gregor Gillespie's takedowns, successfully warding off his first and only shot. Naturally, the fight became a standup affair, with both men having moments, landing power jabs and heavy right hands. Before long, their intent was clear. It was to knock each other out, and two minutes into round one, Lee found an opening, slipping a Gillespie jab and cracked him with a counter-right hand, before blasting him into oblivion with a left high kick. Gillespie was out cold before he hit the canvas. It was his first professional loss and about as devastating as losses get. No longer undefeated, Gillespie went back to the drawing board.
It would be two years before fans saw him again, with many wondering what had become of one of the lightweight division's greatest prospects. However, he made his return at UFC Vegas 26, where he took on Carlos Diego Ferreira, despite originally being booked to fight Brad Riddell at UFC Vegas 22 in a matchup that was scrapped over COVID-related issues. With no live crowd due to then ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the fight was at the UFC Apex, and it was among the toughest of Gillespie's career. He shot for several takedowns in round one, but just couldn't control Ferreira, who used leg locks and shoulder locks to initiate scrambles, helping him get back to his feet.
In the standup, Ferreira was more powerful and polished, stunning Gillespie with one-twos and right hands. Undeterred, Gillespie continued to shoot for takedowns, pushing an overwhelming pace. By the end of round one, Gillespie looked spent. He could barely stand. However, in round two, the opposite was true. Having found his second wind, Gillespie continued to take Ferreira down, who slowly began to fade. While he tried to scramble out of positions, Gillespie just wrestled ahead of him, beating him to the position mid-transition. Eventually, 'The Gift' flattened him out and blasted him with ground-and-pound for a hard-fought TKO win.
Ferreira was the #13 lightweight at the time, a rank that Gillespie then took for himself, only to later become a ghost. He wasn't fighting, and the rumor mill at the time claimed that it was due to him being difficult. In short, Gillespie allegedly wanted to fight up the rankings and refused to fight anyone ranked below him. The rumor gained traction when the UFC removed him from the lightweight rankings due to his inactivity. Then, Gillespie himself took to social media to address the situation, promising fans that he had only been removed from the rankings, not cut from the promotion.
"LONG STORY SHORT: NOT REMOVED FROM UFC, JUST FROM RANKINGS. I AM NOT GOING ANYWHERE."
He then accused higher-profile fighters like Rafael dos Anjos, Tony Ferguson, and Michael Chandler of turning down fights with him.
"I am patiently waiting for a fight that will get me closer to a title. Since @TonyFergusonXT turned me down 100x last year, and @MikeChandlerMMA didn't seem interested, and since RDA just turned down a fight against me (WHICH I ACCEPTED), I guess @beneildariush will have to do."
His demands to fight Ferguson date back to when 'El Cucuy' was still ranked much higher than him, while Gillespie wasn't even in the top seven. The fight just wasn't going to happen, and Gillespie's refusal to fight anyone below him eventually left him in no man's land. So, the promotion phased him out of the lightweight rankings, and he hasn't fought since. He never announced his retirement, but it's been five years since he last fought or competed in any combat sport. He also hasn't made any definitive statements about his career, making it one of the most bizarre ends to a once white-hot prospect.
