Back in 2017-18 Gregor Gillespie looked every bit the picture of a top lightweight prospect on the rise to the very peak of the division. In 2022, however, his career appears to have stalled.
A 2019 KO loss to Kevin Lee played some part in halting that progression, but for the large part it’s been inactivity. Gillespie has fought just once in the last two-and-a-half years, picking up a second-round TKO victory over Diego Ferreira, back in May of last year. Twelve months after that win, the #8 ranked fighter was officially removed from the UFC’s rankings system.
The move, coupled with Gillespie’s lack of fight bookings, apparently caused some to wonder if the former NCAA Div I national champion wrestler had parted ways with the world’s largest MMA promotion. As rumors swirled, the ‘Gift’ took to social media to clear the air.
In a recent post to his Instagram account, Gillespie made it known that he’s still in the UFC, and entirely happy with the promotion. But that he’s also only willing to take on opponents ranked higher than he is. It seems those opportunities haven’t been easy to come by.
Guys I’m STILL in the UFC relax. I’ll explain.
1) I’m removed from the RANKINGS. Not from the organization. (Fighters are removed from rankings when inactive for a period of time which I’m gathering is 12 months.)
2) I’m not fucking going ANYWHERE, rankings or not. I love the UFC and contrary to what the haters say about them, the UFC has ALWAYS been more than good to me. Pay is great, everything super organized, the follow up after from medical staff is unbelievable, 100% class act top of the food chain. It is NOT their fault I have not had a fight. They have offered me plenty of fights in the last year. I have accepted any and all of them against guys who were ranked ahead of me, (outside of the VERY short notice ones like 4-8 days) and conversely I have obviously turned down all of the ones of guys ranked behind me. I am on a mission to fight the top guys w the lowest number next to their name and get towards that belt, and fighting guys who are ranked behind me isn’t the way to do that, but I also understand sitting for a long period of time isn’t either.
3) I am, and have been patiently waiting for the right fight, one that is going to push me toward the belt. Since Ferguson turned it down like 100 fukin times in the last yr, since Mikey Chandler didn’t seem too interested in fighting me when I brought it up, and since RDA just turned down the fight against me (WHICH I ACCEPTED BTW) I guess @beneildariush will have to do. I know you’re banged up and recovering big dawg, so just gimme a 8 week heads up and let’s do the thing.
PS … RDA ,Chandler , offer always fukin stands … RDA was cool with fighting me on 4 days notice when I was literally on a mountain 7 hours away from home when he needed a last second replacement, but when just offered fight w me since then where I would have a fight camp, he straight up said no.
***Long story short, removed from rankings, not from the UFC.
Of course, now removed from the rankings entirely, technically all UFC lightweights in the top 15 are ranked ahead of him. Whether or not that fact motivates Gillespie to change his position remains to be seen. In the meantime, unless another top-ranked lightweight is willing to make the sacrifice that Gillespie himself isn’t, it seems that the 35-year-old Bellmore Kickboxing Academy disciple may not be back in the cage any time soon.
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