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#2 UFC Lightweight division: Gregor Gillespie vs. Brad Riddell

Can Gregor Gillespie use his wrestling to outwork Brad Riddell this weekend?

On paper at least, this UFC Lightweight clash feels very much like the classic meeting of the grappler vs. the striker.

One of the most credentialed amateur wrestlers in recent UFC history, Gillespie was a National Champion in his collegiate days and is also a four-time NCAA Division I All-American.

In the UFC, his wrestling skills have fared very well for him. ‘The Gift’ basically ran through his first six UFC opponents, but certainly didn’t blanket them ala Josh Koscheck or Jon Fitch.

Sure, Gillespie definitely looked to take the likes of Glaico Franca and Vinc Pichel down. But he also showed a penchant for recklessly striking, relying on his wrestling to allow him to dictate where the fight would take place.

Some observers would argue that his style caught up with him last year when he was KO’d by Kevin Lee at UFC 244.

However, the head kick that Lee used came out of nowhere and would’ve knocked out any opponent. Furthermore, Gillespie hadn’t even moved out of first gear at the time.

However, with over a year on the shelf behind him, it’ll be interesting to see how he approaches this fight with Riddell.

The Australian is basically as pure of a kickboxer as you’ll find in the UFC right now. ‘Quake’ is 3-0 in the UFC and 9-1 in MMA overall since fully moving into the sport in 2016.

Riddell’s striking has looked fantastic in the UFC thus far, with wins over Jamie Mullarkey, Magomed Mustafaev and Alex da Silva Coelho under his belt.

That win over Mustafaev is probably the most telling, though. Mustafaev has plenty of grappling credentials in his own right and was able to get Riddell down on multiple occasions.

However, he couldn’t hold the Aussie down and found himself being largely picked apart on the feet.

So can Gillespie succeed where Mustafaev couldn’t? And if he can’t, is he outgunned standing?

The answer to the latter question is probably yes. ‘The Gift’ hits hard, but he simply doesn’t possess the technique and combination ability that Riddell does.

However, he’s also a far superior wrestler to Mustafaev, and if he comes out with a mind to wrestle, it’s hard to imagine Riddell really stopping the takedown.

With that in mind, this one is probably all on Gillespie. If he can continually drag Riddell down and wear him out, then it should be his fight to lose. But if he decides to stand with ‘Quake’ for a prolonged period, he’s likely toast.

Given that Riddell has never fought a grappler close to Gillespie before, ‘The Gift’ should probably be the favorite. But Riddell can’t be counted out here simply due to Gillespie’s long layoff.

However, ‘The Gift’ by decision is the pick.

The Pick: Gillespie via unanimous decision