Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight prospects Gregor Gillespie and Vinc Pichel collided last night (June 1, 2018) at UFC Fight Night 131 from inside Adirondack Bank Center in Utica, New York.
Gillespie may talk nonstop about fishing, but the highly decorated wrestler is pretty damn good at fighting as well. Already known for pushing a high pace and finishing fights, Gillespie was yet another extremely talented prospect in the talent-rich Lightweight division looking to break into the ranks.
Pichel was in a similar position — trying to make his claim to the top half of the division — but without any of the hype. A big part of that is due to inactivity, but Pichel could make up for his lackluster fight schedule by upsetting “The Gift” last night.
Gillespie scored an easy takedown and hopped to side control in the first minute of the bout. Pichel was trapped on the bottom for a bit, but he used a guillotine attempt from Gillespie to scramble back to his feet. Unfortunately for “From Hell,” Gillespie put him back down with a single.
Pichel scrambled up and was put back down once more. From top position, Gillespie attacked with an arm triangle and moved into full mount briefly. Pichel managed to scramble up and create some distance with about a minute remaining, but it was clear all the wrestling had sapped his energy.
Gillespie planted him back on the mat and finished a dominant round with a tight anaconda choke attempt.
To open the second, Pichel attempted to punch his way out of a single leg and was slammed for his efforts. Pichel never stopped trying to work his way up, but he gave his back up in the process. Gillespie flowed around Pichel’s attempts to scramble, maintaining good position throughout the round. He eventually landed in the mount, where Pichel’s attempt to buck created the opening for an arm triangle.
This time around, there would be no escape from the choke. Gillespie dropped his weight into the hold, and the fight was wrapped up.
Once more, Gillespie has utterly dominated a reasonably tough opponent. Gillespie’s pressure on the mat is extremely high-level, and it shows. He quickly wears through fighters, making them miserable and forcing them to give up submissions. More than that, Gillespie just doesn’t stop, never slowing to catch his breath or letting up on the pressure.
Pichel probably spent less than 60 seconds on his feet total.
Following this win, Gillespie has won five straight inside the Octagon and finished four of them. He absolutely deserves a top 15 opponent next, and frankly I think most opponents will fall to a similar fate as Pichel.
Speaking of “From Hell,” he fought valiantly but was outmatched. That’s really all there is to it. Pichel worked hard to scramble up and throw big punches when given the opportunity, but Gillespie never gave him a chance. To defeat Gillespie, you need either elite wrestling defense or elite jiu-jitsu — ideally both — and Pichel doesn’t quite qualify in either area.
Last night, Gregor Gillespie continued to tear through the Lightweight division. Who should ‘The Gift’ face next?
For complete UFC Fight Night 131 “Rivera vs. Moraes” results and play-by-play, click HERE!