Gregor Gillespie was removed from the promotional rankings, but still has a spot on the UFC roster.
The self-proclaimed best fisherman in the UFC says he’s not going anywhere.
On Sunday, a tweet from the algorithm-based Twitter account UFC Roster Watch alerted fans to the removal of lightweight [autotag]Gregor Gillespie[/autotag] from the roster, causing a stir among fans who keep a close eye on the sport.
A few hours later, Gillespie (14-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) clarified and went into detail about his current situation with the UFC, ensuring everyone that his status as a UFC fighter has not changed and he is still a fighter under the Las Vegas-based promotion’s banner.
“Guys, I’m STILL in the UFC relax, I’ll explain,” Gillespie wrote, starting a lengthy message on Instagram. “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.”
Beyond clarifying his employment status, Gillespie went into detail about why he has stepped into the cage since his second-round TKO stoppage victory over Diego Ferreira last May.
“I am, and have been patiently waiting for the right fight, one that is going to push me toward the belt,” Gillespie wrote. “Since Ferguson turned it down like 100 f*kin 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.”
Gillespie currently holds the No. 13 spot in the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie lightweight rankings. Prior to a setback against Kevin Lee at UFC 244, he won his first six fights after joining the promotion in 2016.
After an 18-month layoff with a broken jaw, Gregor Gillespie returned in 2021 with a bonus-winning knockout.
After an 18-month layoff, [autotag]Gregor Gillespie[/autotag] returned in 2021 with a bonus-winning knockout.
If the long time away was frustrating at all after a November 2019 knockout loss to Kevin Lee in which he broke his jaw in the first setback of his career, perhaps he’s grown accustomed to the feeling he has these days.
Gillespie (14-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) hasn’t been booked for another fight since his finish of Diego Ferreira in May 2021. He told MMA Junkie he’s been trying to get a fight with former interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson – and has agreed to one on his end.
But for reasons that Gillespie can’t understand, he said Ferguson doesn’t seem interested. And he’s also a little unsure why the fabled MMA math isn’t working out in his favor.
Beniel Dariush beat Ferreira with a split decision. But Gillespie knocked out Ferreira. Dariush got a fight with Ferguson and beat him and now has a potential title eliminator against Islam Makhachev coming up. So why hasn’t Gillespie gotten a fight with Ferguson or someone of his caliber?
“I’ve been radio silent the last five or six years. I don’t call people out. I’ve been pretty adamant about not doing that,” Gillespie told MMA Junkie. “… I’ve been offered fights. They’re just fights I’m not interested in taking. I’m not ancient by any means. I’m 35 years old. I don’t have that many years left in my career that I’m just not fighting guys ranked lower than me.”
And that may be what’s putting Gillespie between a rock and a hard place. His philosophy might be the same as Ferguson’s. Gillespie is No. 10 in the most recent official UFC lightweight rankings; Ferguson is No. 7.
But Gillespie said considering both he and Ferguson most recently fought around the same time, and everyone else in close proximity to them in the rankings already was booked or unavailable, Ferguson not signing on the dotted line to fight him doesn’t make sense to him.
“After I beat Ferreira, they offered me Ferguson for the November card (in New York). I said yes,” Gillespie said. “I didn’t hear back. I contacted my manager. He says, ‘They don’t sound too thrilled to fight you.’ … We kept asking for the fight, and the same response: ‘He doesn’t seem thrilled, he doesn’t want the fight, blah blah blah.’ … Then I see him calling out (Michael) Chandler. That really pissed me off.”
If Ferguson wants to fight a wrestler in Chandler, Gillespie was quick to point out he has a college wrestling win against him. Plus, Gillespie said, Chandler doesn’t wrestle much in his recent MMA fights.
“I’m not really sure what the issue is – why Tony wouldn’t want to fight me,” Gillespie said. “I’m 14-1. I have 12 finishes. I only have one fight in the UFC that wasn’t a finish. You could probably expect with a fight like me and Tony, you’re probably going to get an extra $50,000. It should be a fireworks kind of fight. I really don’t see what the downside is to fighting me. It’s really, really frustrating.”
With the irritation bubbling over for not getting a booking against Ferguson, Gillespie said he’d take a fight against Chandler – even though he knows he might have to wait a while after Chandler’s loss to Justin Geathje in November.
“I love the Mike Chandler fight, too,” he said. “My understanding from information I’ve gotten about that is Mike Chandler’s been in some wars – he needs a bit of a break. And I get that. He’s had some battles. You go through a fight like him and (Justin) Gaethje had, you need some rest. I get that. But if there’s a fight he gets scheduled in, he didn’t need that long of a break. I asked for that.
“There are obviously guys that have said my name and guys that want to fight me, but it’s not the guys that are going to propel me to the ultimate goal here. The clock is ticking, so I want to get this thing moving. If I was 27 years old, I’d take the fight with the guys that are behind me. But it’s a weird spot, I guess. So here we are.”
Gregor Gillespie will give the callout route another shot.
[autotag]Gregor Gillespie[/autotag] will give the callout route another shot.
Not one to usually issue challenges, Gillespie (14-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) broke his rule when he called out former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis in 2019. He never ended up getting that fight, but he will try this methodology once again.
This time, Gillespie is targeting a bout with former interim champ [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] (25-6 MMA, 15-4 UFC). The self-proclaimed best fisherman in MMA put together a video, throwing in one of Ferguson’s most popular catch phrases.
“For the last 15 fights, people have been pressuring me and annoying me to call someone out. I never wanted to, but I think it’s time to play the game. I want my second call out to count, so Tony Ferguson, I think it’s time for me to ankle pick you in that octagon. What do you say?”
Gillespie is coming off a second-round TKO of Carlos Diego Ferreira at UFC on ESPN 24 in May. The standout wrestler is currently ranked No. 10 in the UFC’s lightweight rankings and is looking to climb the ladder by facing Ferguson.
After amassing a 12-fight winning streak, including capturing the interim title, Ferguson has lost three straight to former interim champ Justin Gaethje, current lightweight champ Charles Oliveira and top contender Beneil Dariush. Ferguson never responded to Gillespie’s callout, but did allude to potential fight news.
MMA Junkie’s Nolan King shares news tidbits and rumblings from around the MMA world.
Before we get into the crux of what you all showed up for (news), we want to re-introduce you to the “Insider’s Scoop.”
Every once in and while, our reporters, when enough noteworthy developments have piled up, will release news in an easy-to-digest roundup for the MMA Junkie audience.
From fight rumblings to event locations and dates to roster departures and more, various tidbits will be featured each time “Insider’s Scoop” is released.
So without further ado, here’s the latest edition of “Insider’s Scoop.”
Gregor Gillespie discusses the exhausting pace of his bout against Diego Ferreira at UFC on ESPN 24.
LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Gregor Gillespie[/autotag] said he knew his opponent, [autotag]Diego Ferreira[/autotag], wasn’t going to keep up with him.
The lightweight picked up a big win Saturday when he stopped Ferreira (17-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) in the second round of their main card bout at UFC on ESPN 24 in Las Vegas. Gillespie (14-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) put away the Brazilian with ground-and-pound after a wild series of non-stop action that earned “Fight of the Night.” (Gillespie got to take Ferreira’s $50,000 share, as well, since Ferreira missed weight.)
It was one of the most high-paced fights in recent memory, as both fighters frantically battled for dominant positions on the ground.
“I was exhausted,” Gillespie said at the UFC on ESPN 24 post-fight news conference. “People are going to watch that and say, ‘Gillespie is out of shape.’ There is a huge difference between being tired and being out of shape. I was tired, not out of shape.
“That guy stuck with that pace and added to that pace in the first round. I don’t know if you want to call it – I baited him into that, or I forced him into that pace, but that’s how I do it. I go that hard. Sometimes I don’t have to keep going that hard. Sometimes the guy is not as good on the bottom. He can’t escape, he can’t force me off of him or reverse me, so that’s less tiring.
“Diego was able to do that a few times and he put me in danger at the end of the first round. It was exhausting and I was tired. But the difference is, I will still operate when I’m that tired and I’m OK being that tired. It was really unconformable, and I said to my coaches, but I had conceded to the fact that if it was going to have to be three rounds of that, then that’s cool. I accepted that going into the second round. If that’s what we’re going to do, that’s what we’re going to do. But he quit before we got there.”
[lawrence-related id=609450,609220]
It was an important win for Gillespie, who bounced back from his first professional loss. It was also in some way a comeback fight because Gillespie had been out of competition for more than a year. Gillespie was coming off a knockout loss to Kevin Lee in November 2019 at UFC 244.
Gillespie thinks he’s among the best fighters at 155 pounds, but admitted doubt did creep in given the conditions under which he entered UFC on ESPN 24.
“For lack of a better term, it is self doubt. And it’s not that I don’t believe in myself – those are two separate entities,” Gillespie said. “I always believe in myself. I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t think I could be the best, if I couldn’t win that fight with Diego. Why would I have taken it if I didn’t believe that I could? I took it because I think I could win it.
“But until you beat someone like that, or you beat a guy like that – I had that six-fight win streak, and then I lost to Kevin Lee and it’s been a year and a half. Until you beat another guy, the only thing that you really remember is that last fight. I got knocked out and I haven’t fought since, and you’re like, ‘Where am I now? Where do I stand? Can I beat the top 15?’ You think you can, but you have doubt. That’s not the only reason why I got emotional.
“It’s been a long road since that Kevin Lee fight. I broke my jaw, COVID happened, I’ve been tortured by trolls online telling me I’m retired. I’ve got thick skin, but I’m just so sick of hearing it. Then the whole thing with the (Brad) Riddell fight getting canceled because of COVID, that was totally out of my control. Then add another six weeks onto a fight camp that was already 10-12 weeks.”
UFC on ESPN 24 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.
LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 24 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $143,000.
The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.
UFC on ESPN 24 took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.
The full UFC on ESPN 24 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:
Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $32,000.
In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.
Full 2021 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:
“UFC on ESPN 24: Rodriguez vs. Waterson” – $143,000
Gregor Gillespie showed heart, grit and relentlessness in taking out Diego Ferreira at UFC on ESPN 24.
[autotag]Gregor Gillespie[/autotag] showed heart, grit and relentlessness to take out [autotag]Diego Ferreira[/autotag] on Saturday at UFC on ESPN 24.
In his first fight since a brutal head-kick knockout loss to Kevin Lee in November 2019, Gillespie (14-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) overcame a strong first round from Ferreira (17-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) and took control in the second, using ground-and-pound to finish the fight by TKO at the 4:51 mark of the round.
“There’s not much that compares to that,” Gillespie said in his post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier. “It’s been such a long time since I felt that. Last time I won a fight was two years ago. That was a special one for me.”
The catchweight bout (Ferreira missed the lightweight limit) was part of the UFC on ESPN 24 main card at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. It aired on ESPN following prelims on ESPN+.
It was a high pace to start the fight, and Ferreira was sharp with his hands. He backed up Gillespie multiple times with stiff straight punches, forcing Gillespie into takedown attempts under pressure. Ferreira’s defense was on point, and he refused to be complacent with bottom position and continued to scramble out of positions. He took Gillespie’s back late in the round and tried to choke him out, but didn’t have the time to finish.
Gillespie went back to the wrestling to start the second round, but Ferreira stayed sharp with his denials. He dropped back for a submission attempt, which allowed Gillespie to get on top of him and completely turned the momentum of the fight. Ferreira stayed offensive off his back, but Gillespie did even better from on top as he cranked it up a couple notches and started opening up with his strikes.
Ferreira got hurt from some hard blows and started to shell up, which led to a warning from the referee. Gillespie kept attacking and forced Chris Tognoni to stop the bout with nine seconds remaining in the second round.
Diego Ferreira missed weight by a good margin ahead of UFC on ESPN 24, but his fight with Gregor Gillespie will go on.
[autotag]Diego Ferreira[/autotag] missed weight by a good margin ahead of UFC on ESPN 24, but his fight with [autotag]Gregor Gillespie[/autotag] will go on.
Ferreira (17-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) came in 4.5 pounds over the lightweight limit at Friday’s official weigh-ins, tipping the scale at 160.5 for a non-title matchup contracted for no higher than 156.
Gillespie (13-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC), who weighed 156 on the nose, was given the choice to cancel the fight, but he opted to accept.
For the second time in his 12-fight UFC tenure, Diego Ferreira missed weight. He came in 4.5 pounds over the lightweight limit.
As a result, Ferreira will forfeit 30 percent of his purse to Gillespie, per an agreement with UFC brass and the Nevada Athletic Commission (NSAC).
The mishap marks the second time in Ferreira’s career that he’s entered a fight overweight. He missed by one pound for a February 2019 clash with Rustam Khabilov but went on to win the fight.
The full UFC on ESPN 24 weigh-in results include:
MAIN CARD (ESPN, 8 p.m. ET)
Marina Rodriguez (125.5) vs. Michelle Waterson (125)
Donald Cerrone (170) vs. Alex Morono (170.5)
Neil Magny (170.5) vs. Geoff Neal (171)
Maurice Greene (237) vs. Marcos Rogerio de Lima (264.5)
Diego Ferreira (160.5)* vs. Gregor Gillespie (156)
Angela Hill (116) vs. Amanda Ribas (115.5)
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 5 p.m. ET)
Philipe Lins ()^ vs. Ben Rothwell (264.5)
Kyle Daukaus (186) vs. Phil Hawes (186)
Ludovit Klein (146) vs. Mike Trizano (146)
Zarrukh Adashev (125.5) vs. Ryan Benoit (129)#
Tafon Nchukwi (186) vs. Jun Yong Park (186)
Christian Aguilera (170.5) vs. Carlston Harris (170.5)
* Ferreira was fined 30 percent of his purse, but the bout will go on as scheduled ^ Lins was not medically cleared to compete # Benoit was ruled out due to weight management issues
The best facts and figures about UFC on ESPN 24, which features the return of all-time UFC wins leader Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone.
The second event in a busy May schedule for the UFC goes down Saturday with UFC on ESPN 23 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN+.
The main event features a short-notice matchup between strawweight contenders [autotag]Marina Rodriguez[/autotag] (14-1-2 MMA, 3-1-2 UFC) and [autotag]Michelle Waterson[/autotag] (18-8 MMA, 6-4 UFC), who have agreed to fight at flyweight due to the lack of preparation time.
There are also a number of other notables set to compete. For more on the numbers, check below for 45 pre-event facts about UFC on ESPN 23.
A lightweight fight is the latest addition to UFC on ESPN 24.
A little more than three weeks removed from a recent fight-day bout cancellation, [autotag]Gregor Gillespie[/autotag] has been rebooked against [autotag]Diego Ferreira[/autotag]. The May 8 event doesn’t have any officially announced location or venue at this time.
Two people with knowledge of the matchup confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie on Tuesday but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. ESPN was the first to report the news.
Ferreira (17-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) had a six-fight winning streak snapped in a Feb. 6 split decision loss to Beneil Dariush. Despite losing the fight, Ferreira earned a $50,000 “Fight of the Night” bonus for his efforts.
Gillespie (13-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) has not competed since his first professional loss at UFC 244 in November 2019 when he was violently knocked out by Kevin Lee via head kick.
Gillespie was scheduled to fight Brad Riddell on March 20, but the fight was canceled hours before the event when Riddell was ruled out due to COVID-19 protocols.
With the addition, the UFC on ESPN 24 lineup now includes:
