If you thought you spent a lot of time at white belt, the UFC’s Gregor Gillespie may very well have you beat. The 13-1 MMA fighter just earned his blue belt after nine years of BJJ training.
Gillespie was presented the belt by Professors Carlos Rosado and Joe Scarola. He shared the exciting news on social media, reminding everyone that he’d beaten that they had, in fact, been defeated by a white belt.
“This has been 9 years in the making, I’ve sacrificed so much to get this piece of cloth …to all the guys that I’ve beaten….yes you were actually beaten by a white belt. Thanks to professor @graciebarrajupiter and @graciebarra631nb professor Carlos.”
The fact that Gillespie had been a white belt all this time was a shock to many of his fans — Gillespie’s successful MMA career has included five wins by submission, and he’s been proving his grappling skills in the Octagon for a while now. But when asked in a comment on Instagram why it had taken so long for him to earn his blue belt, his reply was simple: “I learn really slow.”
Gillespie’s first and only professional MMA loss took place in November, when he was knocked out by a kick from Kevin Lee. Prior to that fight, he was on a twelve-fight winning streak.
