5 current UFC stars who prefer to let their fighting do the talking for them

#4. Gregor Gillespie – UFC lightweight contender

Gregor Gillespie prefers to fish than to talk trash on prospective opponents

When UFC lightweight contender Gregor Gillespie went off on former interim titleholder Tony Ferguson in an expletive-laden rant earlier this year, slamming ‘El Cucuy’ for reportedly turning down a fight with him, most fans were gobsmacked.

Gillespie – who has been with the promotion since 2016 – had previously stated that trash-talking makes him uncomfortable and admitted that even a respectful call-out of former champion Anthony Pettis in 2019 wasn’t easy for him to make and “broke his own rules.”

Put simply, ‘The Gift’ appears to be one of the few fighters these days who prefers to let his skills in the octagon do his talking for him. One of the most highly-credentialed amateur wrestlers in MMA right now – with an NCAA Division 1 National Championship to his name – Gillespie is currently 14-1 in his career, with seven of those wins coming in the UFC.

However, when it comes to talking trash, ‘The Gift’ happily admits he’s a bit of an amateur. Following his loss to Kevin Lee in 2019, Gillespie outright stated he was no longer interested in even mild boasts on the microphone, admitting that he’s “not a sh*t talker” and prefers to promote himself on social media with his fishing videos.

Whether his recent rant at Ferguson – which seemed to be based around ‘El Cucuy’ mentioning wrestling during a call-out of Michael Chandler – marks a change in this is a question mark. Still, it seems doubtful that Gillespie will embrace his inner Conor McGregor anytime soon.

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#3. Stephen Thompson – UFC welterweight contender

Stephen Thompson has often stated his aversion to trash talk comes from his need to provide a positive role model for his students

When UFC fans and journalists covering the promotion are asked to make lists of “nice guys” who fight in the octagon, one name that tends to make its way to the top is former welterweight title challenger Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson.

The obvious reason for this is that throughout his career with the promotion, which dates back to early 2012, it’s hard to even recall one piece of memorable trash talk from the lifelong martial artist.

Whether he’s facing a fellow soft-spoken athlete like Gilbert Burns or a trash-talker extraordinaire like Jorge Masvidal, ‘Wonderboy’ likes to keep things professional, preferring to let his striking skills do the talking for him.

Fans usually assume that his aversion to any verbal warfare comes from his background in traditional martial arts, and for the most part, they’re right.

In a 2020 interview, Thompson stated that he avoids trash talk because he sees himself as a role model for the children he teaches martial arts to – wishing to teach them self-control – and because it simply isn’t in his nature.

More to the point, ‘Wonderboy’ also claimed that the fact that he not only refuses to go on the verbal offensive but refuses to let vocal opponents get under his skin actually “reverses the effect” – meaning his foes get frustrated that they can’t get to him.

Either way, with an impressive octagon record of 11-6-1, it’s hard to deny that his approach has worked well over the years.