Gregor Gillespie Record: 14-1-0

UFC run

Gillespie debuted in September 2016 with a decision win over Glaico França and quickly established himself as one of the lightweight division's most feared prospects. At UFC 210 in April 2017 he overwhelmed Andrew Holbrook with first-round punches, then submitted Jason Gonzalez with a second-round arm-triangle choke that September. The momentum carried into 2018, when he stopped Jordan Rinaldi with first-round ground-and-pound and then choked out previously one-loss Vinc Pichel with another arm-triangle in June. A January 2019 ground-and-pound stoppage of Yancy Medeiros ran his record to a perfect 13-0 and pushed him into the rankings. The only blemish came at UFC 244 in November 2019, when Kevin Lee caught him with an overhand right into a head kick for a stunning first-round knockout. Gillespie returned in May 2021 and reasserted his game with a second-round ground-and-pound TKO of the dangerous Diego Ferreira.

Fighting style

Gillespie is one of the purest grappling forces in the lightweight division, a relentless wrestler who chains takedowns into smothering top control and a high-percentage finishing game. His 86% finish rate reflects exactly how he wins: seven knockouts, five submissions and only two decisions across 14 victories, with the arm-triangle choke a recurring weapon once he establishes position. His ground-and-pound is heavy and accurate, and few opponents have solved his entries on the mat. The one demonstrated vulnerability is on the feet, where the knockout loss to Lee showed that prolonged striking exchanges carry risk – making his ability to close distance and wrestle the cornerstone of everything he does.

Career highlights

• NCAA Division I national champion — a four-time All-American and 2007 NCAA champion at Edinboro, giving him one of the strongest wrestling pedigrees in the UFC lightweight division.
• 13-0 start to his career — finishes of Vinc Pichel, Jordan Rinaldi and others carried him to a perfect record and a spot in the rankings.
• Comeback over Diego Ferreira — a 2021 second-round TKO of Diego Ferreira proved his dominant grappling remained intact after his lone defeat.