Gillespie could be Champ if he stopped goofing off

[mkt]

Doesn't look that way considering how one dimensional he is.

I think TS is assuming Gregor took his training really seriously and worked a lot more on striking, striking defense, strength/conditioning and everything else. He may be right but it's hard to say. If Gregor has a Cerrone-esque chin, all the skills in the world can't fix that.

 

[RoidRage92]

Will he beat Mark Madsen, who has much better wrestling credentials than him? Gillespie is all right, but he is far from champ material, although I agree he could give problems to a lot of higher ranked fighters.

Madsen is Greco Roman based which is much different than freestlye and folkstyle wrestling. You cant compare the two's credentials or accomplishments. Plus, Madsen gassed terribly trying to submit and finish Hubbard who doesn't even have a strong ground game compared to someone like CDF. Joe Solecki submitted Hubbard in the first round recently. Madsen still has a lot to learn in adapting his greco game to MMA and trying to find his pace, I highly doubt he would be able to survive a highly ranked BJJ player's ground game because of his gastank. Guys like Gregor and Islam would run circles on him in grappling.

 

[HaulParris]

The way he shoots from actoss the cage without any set-up, is the reason he won't be champion. He relies on his toughness, endurance, power, and wrestling experience - but this isn't NCAA, it's MMA. Maybe if he started younger and learned to mix up his striking with his wrestling, it would be different. Maybe if be fought in a shallower weight class - so many maybes but only one reality - a guy in his mid 30s who is not going to be champion.

 

[JonJonesNeedle]

he has a better shot at 145 imo. Plus he has a questionable chin

 

[blaseblah]

3 fights in 2014
2 in 2015
3 in 2016, 3rd of which is his UFC debut
2 each in 2017, 2018, and 2019

He's fought at least twice a year in every year except 2020, coming off a brutal head kick knockout, the first loss of his career, in a global pandemic

I'm not sure what specifically he had going on in his personal life but he probably had stuff going on

He should really be aiming for 3 fights a year at his age.

 

[AndrewGolota48]

The way he shoots from actoss the cage without any set-up, is the reason he won't be champion. He relies on his toughness, endurance, power, and wrestling experience - but this isn't NCAA, it's MMA. Maybe if he started younger and learned to mix up his striking with his wrestling, it would be different. Maybe if be fought in a shallower weight class - so many maybes but only one reality - a guy in his mid 30s who is not going to be champion.

This and then you add in the fact that he's undersized. I'm a big fan of his though, always root for him.

 

[FEDORFAN44]

He looked great last night but I would love to see him drop to 145.dude is a beast but seems to give up alot of size

 

[do a moniker]

He looked great last night but I would love to see him drop to 145.dude is a beast but seems to give up alot of size

He wrestled at 157 his final two years in college. And never any lower than 149. He will never cut to 145

 

[Peli]

Fishing won't bring him closer to the belt. Fighting will. The guy has always looked like a force if nature. Sure Kevin Lee has his number, but damn, i actually think he's champion material. He's an excellent wrestler, with great grappling and serviceable striking. It's just... He doesn't fight often enough. Also that cdf fight was amazing.

he's 34 mate. If he fights Chandler for the belt, maybe.

He took a year off and it was the right move. I think he was supposed to come back in 2020 but covid happen. His head got bounced off the fence. The time off was necessary.

 

[do a moniker]

The way he shoots from actoss the cage without any set-up, is the reason he won't be champion. He relies on his toughness, endurance, power, and wrestling experience - but this isn't NCAA, it's MMA. Maybe if he started younger and learned to mix up his striking with his wrestling, it would be different. Maybe if be fought in a shallower weight class - so many maybes but only one reality - a guy in his mid 30s who is not going to be champion.

It's because he really doesn't care as much as the other fighters. It's a paycheck to him. 2 fights a year is plenty for him. He also has said that he knows he is on the downturn of his physical peak and he doesn't have much longer in this game. What you see is what you get at this point

 

[WaylonMercy5150]

he took time off after getting KO'd

That's a good thing and everyone is pretending like he wasted his career.

UFC money ain't worth being retarded when you're 50

<mma2>

 

[Sticko]

He should really be aiming for 3 fights a year at his age.

Might be hard to fit in 2 more fights this year but let's hope.

Apparently he broke his jaw, I assume from Kevin Lee's head kick. Also he was supposed to make his return against Brad Riddell in March but COVID-19 protocols cancelled it.

 

[HHJ]

He does what he wants

This.

 

[HHJ]

he took time off after getting KO'd

That's a good thing and everyone is pretending like he wasted his career.

UFC money ain't worth being retarded when you're 50

This also.

 

[pinero]

I remember when Sherdog had him as the next guy to defeat Khabib

 

[KingRyan]

But as it stands, he's not even " middling contender" at 155. The guy he lost to, Kevin Lee, now he's a "middling contender".

*He lost to fighter Kevin Lee.

 

[blaseblah]

Might be hard to fit in 2 more fights this year but let's hope.

Apparently he broke his jaw, I assume from Kevin Lee's head kick. Also he was supposed to make his return against Brad Riddell in March but COVID-19 protocols cancelled it.

But he sat out the entire rest of the year when there were cards going on for most of it.

 

[Rvd Slmr]

how the hell do you come to the conclusion that he's "champion material" from last nights fight?

American who wrestled in college = automatic GOAT candidate who will 100% win the belt and defend it twelve times.

 

[chiefwiggum]

What’s goofing off? Fishing ?

 

[mkt]

Might be hard to fit in 2 more fights this year but let's hope.

Apparently he broke his jaw, I assume from Kevin Lee's head kick. Also he was supposed to make his return against Brad Riddell in March but COVID-19 protocols cancelled it.

He took on a tougher opponent than Riddell and still won, too. Good on him.