Exciting lightweight prospect Gregor "The Gift" Gillespie (13-1, 6 KOs, 5 SUBs) will meet New Zealand's Brad Riddell (9-1, 5 KOs) at UFC Fight Night: Brunson vs. Holland on Saturday, March 20, 2021 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. The card airs live on ESPN+ starting 10pm ET. In the main event, veteran middleweight Derek Brunson (21-7, 12 KOs, 3 SUBs) locks horns with the rising Kevin Holland (21-5, 11 KOs, 6 SUBs). Let's take a closer look at the UFC Fight Night odds for Gillespie vs. Riddell and pick your best online betting options.
UFC Fight Night: Brunson vs. Holland Betting
The Stakes
Even before he made his UFC debut, Gregor Gillespie was seen as a future contender in the UFC - even in an absolutely loaded lightweight division. That's always the case when a former NCAA D1 champion crosses over into MMA. But in his first matchup with a legitimate contender in Kevin Lee, Gillespie suffered his first pro loss via nasty head kick. He'll look to bounce back against New Zealand's Brad Riddell, who is actually a solid prospect himself with a 3-0 UFC record. Gillespie could establish himself again as the blue chip guy to watch out for, but Riddell could also make a huge statement here.
Gregor Gillespie (13-1, 6 KOs, 5 SUBs)
After a successful stint in Ring of Combat, Gillespie was signed to the UFC in 2017 and it was off to the races. Six straight wins, five coming by way of finish, with an equal number of knockouts and submissions. After trucking the middle class likes of Jordan Rinaldi, Vinc Pichel and Yancy Medeiros, Gillespie got caught by Kevin Lee. While that derailed some of his hype, make no mistake: this guy could very well be contending for a title in the near future.
Gillespie's game is all about pressure. That should be no surprise, considering his stellar wrestling background. He relied on his folkstyle skills to ride easy wins early on in his career, but Gillespie has taken to the rest of MMA like a fish to water. In the standup, he has enough power to develop into a sprawl-and-brawler, though he relies a bit too much on his chin. When it comes to grappling, he seamlessly chains takedown attempts, transitions naturally and intuitive finds chokes and locks. All he needs is a bit more experience.
Brad Riddell (9-1, 5 KOs)
The Kiwi put in great work in the Asa-Pacific regional scene, piling up a 6-1 record with 5 finishes. That caught the eye of the UFC, who loves fishing for talent in Australia and New Zealand. Signing with the UFC in 2019, Riddell has since won three straight fights, beating Jamie Mullarkey, Magomed Mustafaev and Alex da Silva Coelho. The 29-year old has yet to finish a UFC opponent, which is something to keep an eye on as he tries to level up.
We're not quite sure how good Riddell can be, but he keeps passing different tests - whether it's stifling Mullarkey's takedowns or figuring out Mustafaev's power punching. Being a stocky fighter is never easy, but consider who he trains with: Israel Adesanya, Alex Volkanovski, Dan Hooker and Kai Kara-France. Iron sharpens iron.
Significant Striking Stats
Strikes landed per minute: Gillespie 3.58 / Riddell 4.36
Striking accuracy: Gillespie 49% / Riddell 50%
Strikes absorbed per minute: Gillespie 2.15 / Riddell 2.62
Striking defense: Gillespie 60% / Riddell 53%
Grappling Stats
Takedowns per 15 minutes: Gillespie 7.02 / Riddell 1.00
Takedown accuracy: Gillespie 47% / Riddell 37%
Takedown defense: Gillespie N/A / Riddell 60%
Submissions per 15 minutes: Gillespie 0.9 / Riddell 0.0
UFC Picks
You might be surprised to see that Riddell isn't a massive underdog, but the oddsmakers are right to give him respect - he's passed some tough tests and we don't know how high his ceiling is. Fortunately, that gives you an excellent chance to get in on Gillespie under -200. We've seen over and over again how well wrestlers fare inside the octagon, and Riddell has never faced anyone on his level. This should be a clear win for The Gift.
UFC Fight Night: Brunson vs. Holland Card & Odds
Middleweight: Derek Brunson +141 vs. Kevin Holland -168
Welterweight: Kenan Song +162 vs. Max Griffin -196
Heavyweight: Don'Tale Mayes +170 vs. Tai Tuivasa -206
Bantamweight: Gustavo Lopez +177 vs. Adrian Yanez -215
Women's Strawweight: Montserrat Ruiz +280 vs. Cheyanne Buys -356
Women's Bantamweight: Julija Stoliarenko +287 vs. Julia Avila -366
Lightweight: Leonardo Santos +170 vs. Grant Dawson -206
Flyweight: Bruno Gustavo da Silva +130 vs. JP Buys -157
Lightweight: Brad Riddell +188 vs. Gregor Gillespie -230
Women's Bantamweight: Marion Reneau +165 vs. Macy Chiasson -201
Middleweight: Trevin Giles +113 vs. Roman Dolidze -137
Bantamweight: Jesse Strader +492 vs. Montel Jackson -702
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