Report: UFC targeting Kevin Lee vs. Gregor Gillespie in May

Bloodyelbow.com

Gregor Gillespie could be getting the toughest fight of his career in just a few months.

The UFC is targeting a fight between him and top lightweight contender Kevin Lee for May, ESPN’s Ariel Helwani reported Wednesday. However, as of now, Lee vs. Gillespie has yet to be finalized.

Lee was eyeing a fight against Islam Makhachev at the upcoming show in Russia, but the promotion preferred the Gillespie pairing and is now heading in that direction, according to Helwani.

Lee is coming off a decision loss to Al Iaquinta in the main event of UFC on FOX 31 last December. Prior to that, “The Motown Phenom” dominated Edson Barboza for a fifth-round stoppage last April.

Lee competed in an interim title fight against Tony Ferguson at UFC 216 in October 2017, but fell via submission. Lee is 1-2 in his last three outings, but prior to that, he was riding an impressive five-fight winning streak.

Gillespie has won six in a row since signing with the UFC in 2016. The 31-year-old most recently defeated Yancy Medeiros via second-round TKO at UFC Brooklyn last month. Five of his six Octagon wins, which also include victories over Vinc Pichel and Jordan Rinaldi, have ended inside the distance.

Three UFC events are scheduled for May — UFC on ESPN+ 8, which takes place in Ottawa, Canada, UFC 237, which takes place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and UFC on ESPN+ 9, which does not yet have an official location.