Gregor Volz Gillespie (born March 18, 1987) is an American professional

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...

and graduated collegiate wrestler who currently competes in the lightweight division of the

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

(UFC). A professional since 2012, he formerly competed for Ring of Combat where he was the Lightweight Champion. As a folkstyle wrestler, Gillespie was the 2007 NCAA Division I National Champion at 149 pounds, a four–time

NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest level of College athletics, intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major ...

All–American and a three–time

EWL EWL may refer to: *East West MRT line, Rapid transit line in Singapore. *European Women's Lobby *Eastern Wrestling League The Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) was an NCAA Division I wrestling-only conference. It was made up mostly of schools from ...

and PSAC conference champion for the

Edinboro Fighting Scots The Edinboro Fighting Scots are the athletic teams that represent Pennsylvania Western University Edinboro (known before July 2022 as Edinboro University of Pennsylvania), located in Edinboro, Pennsylvania, in NCAA Division II intercollegiate s ...

. He also competed briefly in

freestyle wrestling Freestyle wrestling is a style of wrestling originated from Great Britain and the United States. Along with Greco-Roman, it is one of the two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic Games. American high school and men's college wrestling ...

Background

Born and raised in

Webster, New York Webster is a town in the northeastern corner of Monroe County, New York, United States. The town is named after orator and statesman Daniel Webster. The population was 42,641 at the 2010 census. The town's motto is "Where Life Is Worth Living." ...

, Gillespie attended

Webster Schroeder High School Webster Schroeder High School is a public high school located in Webster, Monroe County, New York, U.S.A., a suburb of Rochester, and is one of two high schools operated by the Webster Central School District. History In Fall 1972, the school was ...

where he was a standout in

wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...

, winning two state titles. He continued wrestling for

Edinboro University PennWest Edinboro is a campus of Pennsylvania Western University, a multi-campus public university in Pennsylvania. Located in the town of Edinboro, the campus has more than 4,600 enrolled students. History Edinboro University was founded a ...

, where he was a four-time

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...

n and won a national championship in 2007. He was the first true freshman All-American in school history, and also holds the school record for most career wins (152), most wins as a freshman (40), and highest winning percentage (.917). Gillespie stated that he ended his wrestling career because he didn't think he could beat

Jordan Burroughs Jordan Ernest Burroughs (born July 8, 1988) is an American freestyle wrestler and former folkstyle wrestler who currently competes at 79 kilograms, and previously competed at 74 kilos. In freestyle, he was the 2012 Olympic gold medalist, is ...

. He graduated from Edinboro with a bachelor's degree in individualized studies and a concentration in

psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries betwe ...

. He was an assistant coach at

Hofstra University Hofstra University is a private university in Hempstead, New York. It is Long Island's largest private university. Hofstra originated in 1935 as an extension of New York University (NYU) under the name Nassau College – Hofstra Memorial of Ne ...

and as a side gig, taught private lessons to an MMA fighter. Despite having vowed never to fight, he started studying MMA and quit his job in order to pursue a full-time career in the sport.

Mixed martial arts

Early career

In 2012, Gillespie was scheduled to make his

mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...

debut but suffered a broken arm during a

sparring Sparring is a form of training common to many combat sports. Although the precise form varies, it is essentially relatively ' free-form' fighting, with enough rules, customs, or agreements to minimize injuries. By extension, argumentative debate ...

session which caused serious health issues and infections, pushing his debut over to January 2014. After compiling an undefeated 7–0 record with six finishes on the regional scene in

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

, Gillespie signed a contract with the

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Gillespie made his promotional debut against Glaico Franca on September 24, 2016 at

UFC Fight Night 95 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Gillespie next faced Andrew Holbrook on April 8, 2017 at

UFC 210 ''UFC 210: Cormier vs. Johnson 2 '' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on April 8, 2017, at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. Background The event was the second that the UFC has hosted in ...

. He won the fight via knockout in the first round and was awarded a ''Performance of the Night'' bonus. Gillespie faced Jason Gonzalez on September 16, 2017 at

UFC Fight Night 116 ''UFC Fight Night: Rockhold vs. Branch'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 116'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on September 16, 2017 at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Backg ...

. He won the back-and-forth fight via submission in the second round. The win also earned Gillespie his first ''Fight of the Night'' bonus award. Gillespie faced

Jordan Rinaldi Jordan Rinaldi (born September 25, 1987) is an American mixed martial artist. He was the welterweight Complete Devastation champion. Rinaldi competed in featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background Rinaldi was b ...

on January 27, 2018 at UFC on Fox: Jacaré vs. Brunson 2. He won the fight via technical knock out. Gillespie faced

Vinc Pichel Vincent Alan Pichel (born November 23, 1982) is an American professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competitor since 2009, Pichel was also a contestan ...

on June 1, 2018 at

UFC Fight Night 131 ''UFC Fight Night: Rivera vs. Moraes'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 131'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on June 1, 2018, at Adirondack Bank Center in Utica, New York. Background ...

. Gillespie won via arm-triangle choke in the second round. This win earned him

Performance of the Night UFC Bonus Awards are three separate cash bonuses usually awarded to four fighters after each UFC event, based on internal decisions by UFC management. More/fewer bonuses have been awarded at some events, especially when no knockouts or submissions ...

award. Gillespie faced

Yancy Medeiros Yancy Medeiros Jr. (born September 7, 1987) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Lightweight division of Bellator MMA. A professional competitor since 2007, he has competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship and Strikeforc ...

on January 19, 2019 at UFC Fight Night: Cejudo vs. Dillashaw. He won the fight via TKO in the second round. Gillespie faced Kevin Lee on November 2, 2019 at

UFC 244 ''UFC 244: Masvidal vs. Diaz'' was a mixed martial arts pay-per-view event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on November 2, 2019 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, United States. It was the UFC's ...

. He lost the fight via knockout in round one, marking his first professional defeat. Gillespie was expected to face

Brad Riddell Bradley Stephen Riddell (born 30 September 1991) is a New Zealand mixed martial artist and former kickboxer, currently competing in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background Riddell netted several kickboxi ...

on March 20, 2021 at

UFC on ESPN 21 ''UFC on ESPN: Brunson vs. Holland'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 21'' and ''UFC Vegas 22'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on March 20, 2021 at the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, N ...

. However, the bout was cancelled due to COVID-19 protocols in the day of the event. Instead, Gillespie faced No-Gi Jiu Jitsu World medalist

Carlos Diego Ferreira Carlos Diego Ferreira (born January 18, 1985) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist, currently competing in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the former Legacy FC lightweight champion, and vacated the ...

on May 8, 2021 at UFC on ESPN 24. At the weigh–ins, Ferreira weighed in at 160.5 pounds, four and a half pounds over the lightweight non-title fight limit and was fined 30% of his purse, which went to Gillespie. After a back-and-forth first round, where Gillespie appeared to fatigue, he was able to keep composure and rallied, winning the fight via TKO in round two. This fight earned him the Fight of the Night award.

Championships and accomplishments

Folkstyle wrestling

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

Division I 149 lbs - 7th place out of

(2006) **

Division I 149 lbs - 1st place out of

(2007) **

Division I 157 lbs - 5th place out of

(2008) **

Division I 157 lbs - 4th place out of

(2009)

Mixed martial arts

*Ring of Combat **ROC Regional Lightweight Championship (One time) *

** Fight of the Night (Two times) **

(Two times) vs. Andrew Holbrook and

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Win , align=center, 14–1 ,

, TKO (elbows and punches) , UFC on ESPN: Rodriguez vs. Waterson , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:51 ,

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 13–1 , Kevin Lee , , KO (head kick) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:47 ,

New York City, New York New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–0 ,

, TKO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: Cejudo vs. Dillashaw , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:59 ,

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–0 ,

, Submission (arm-triangle choke) , UFC Fight Night: Rivera vs. Moraes , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:06 ,

Utica, New York Utica () is a Administrative divisions of New York, city in the Mohawk Valley and the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The List of cities in New York, tenth-most-populous city in New York State, its population was 65,283 ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–0 ,

, TKO (punches) , UFC on Fox: Jacaré vs. Brunson 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:46 ,

Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–0 , Jason Gonzalez , Submission (arm-triangle choke) , UFC Fight Night: Rockhold vs. Branch , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:10 ,

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–0 , Andrew Holbrook , KO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:21 ,

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–0 , Glaico França , Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Cyborg vs. Lansberg , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Brasília Brasília (; ) is the federal capital of Brazil and seat of government of the Federal District. The city is located at the top of the Brazilian highlands in the country's Central-West region. It was founded by President Juscelino Kubitsche ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 7–0 , Sidney Outlaw , Decision (split) , Ring of Combat 55 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–0 , Jose Mariscal , TKO (punches) , Ring of Combat 54 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:09 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–0 , George Sheppard , Submission (arm-triangle choke) , Ring of Combat 51 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:45 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Justin Stewart , TKO (punches) , Ring of Combat 50 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:51 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Justin Harrington , Submission (arm-triangle choke) , Ring of Combat 49 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:21 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Brandon Priest , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Ring of Combat 48 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:37 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Kenny Gaudreau , TKO (punches) , Ring of Combat 47 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:48 ,

, United States ,

NCAA record

! colspan="8", NCAA Championships Matches , - ! Res. ! Record ! Opponent ! Score ! Date ! Event , - ! style=background:white colspan=6 , 2009 NCAA Championships 4th at 157 lbs , - , Loss , 19–6 , align=left, Jordan Leen , style="font-size:88%", 0–4 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=6, March 19–21, 2009 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=6, 2009 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships , - , Win , 19–5 , align=left,

Michael Chandler Michael Chandler (born April 24, 1986) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Lightweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional competitor since 2009, Chandler first gained n ...

, style="font-size:88%", MD 10–2 , - , Loss , 18–5 , align=left,

, style="font-size:88%", MD 4–12 , - , Win , 18–4 , align=left, J.P O’Connor , style="font-size:88%", 1–0 , - , Win , 17–4 , align=left, Jason Welch , style="font-size:88%", 3–2 , - , Win , 16–4 , align=left, Shane Smith , style="font-size:88%", TF 16–0 , - ! style=background:white colspan=6 , 2008 NCAA Championships 5th at 157 lbs , - , Win , 15–4 , align=left, Josh Zupancic , style="font-size:88%", TF 15–0 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=7, March 20–22, 2008 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=7, 2008 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships , - , Loss , 14–4 , align=left, Dan Vallimont , style="font-size:88%", 1–2 , - , Win , 14–3 , align=left, Cyler Sanderson , style="font-size:88%", Fall , - , Win , 13–3 , align=left, Matt Kocher , style="font-size:88%", 1–0 , - , Loss , 12–3 , align=left, Jordan Leen , style="font-size:88%", 6–8 , - , Win , 12–2 , align=left, Jason Johnstone , style="font-size:88%", 6–0 , - , Win , 11–2 , align=left, Spencer Maley , style="font-size:88%", TF 17–0 , - ! style=background:white colspan=6 , 2007 NCAA Championships at 149 lbs , - , Win , 10–2 , align=left, Josh Churella , style="font-size:88%", SV 3–1 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, March 15–17, 2007 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, 2007 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships , - , Win , 9–2 , align=left,

Dustin Schlatter Dustin Schlatter is a graduated folkstyle wrestler and winner of the 2006 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships and a three-time NCAA All-American at 149 pounds for the University of Minnesota. As a high school wrestler Schlatter was a NHSCA ...

, style="font-size:88%", 3–2 , - , Win , 8–2 , align=left, Jordan Leen , style="font-size:88%", 6–2 , - , Win , 7–2 , align=left, Dan Vallimont , style="font-size:88%", MD 10–2 , - , Win , 6–2 , align=left, Sam Alvarenga , style="font-size:88%", 9–5 , - ! style=background:white colspan=6 , 2006 NCAA Championships 7th at 149 lbs , - , Win , 5–2 , align=left, Mark DiSalvo , style="font-size:88%", Fall , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=7, March 16–18, 2006 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=7,

2006 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships Oklahoma City hosted the 2006 NCAA Wrestling Team Championship from March 16–18, 2006. 64 teams vied for the NCAA team championship, and over 320 wrestlers competed for individual honors. Oklahoma State University crowned two individual champion ...

, - , Loss , 4–2 , align=left, Jon Masa , style="font-size:88%", 4–11 , - , Win , 3–1 , align=left, Patrick Simpson , style="font-size:88%", 8–1 , - , Loss , 2–1 , align=left, Ty Eustice , style="font-size:88%", 4–2 , - , Win , 2–0 , align=left, Keith Dickey , style="font-size:88%", Fall , - , Win , 1–0 , align=left, Trevor Chinn , style="font-size:88%", Fall , -

Stats

! Season ! Year ! School ! Placement ! Weigh Class ! Record ! Win , - , 2009 , Senior , rowspan=4,

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania PennWest Edinboro is a campus of Pennsylvania Western University, a multi-campus public university in Pennsylvania. Located in the town of Edinboro, the campus has more than 4,600 enrolled students. History Edinboro University was founded ...

, 4th , rowspan=2, 157 , 41–3 , 93.18% , - , 2008 , Junior , 5th , 37–4 , 90.24% , - , 2007 , Sophomore , 1st , rowspan=2, 149 , 34–2 , 94.44% , - , 2006 , Freshman , 7th , 40–4 , 90.91% , - , colspan=5 bgcolor="LIGHTGREY", Career , bgcolor="LIGHTGREY", 152–13 , bgcolor="LIGHTGREY", 92.12%

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gillespie, Gregor 1987 births Living people American male mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists from New York (state) People from Webster, New York Lightweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing collegiate wrestling Mixed martial artists utilizing freestyle wrestling Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu

Background

Mixed martial arts

Early career

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Championships and accomplishments

Folkstyle wrestling

Mixed martial arts

Mixed martial arts record

NCAA record

Stats

See also

References

External links