Mackenzie Dern faces stiffest test yet in UFC 330 showdown against Gillian Robertson
Saturday's UFC 330 event will feature the promotion's first women's title bout of 2026, with Mackenzie Dern defending her 115-pound title against Gillian Robertson in the co-main event.
The 33-year-old Dern will look to make the first defense of her title, but she'll face a stiff challenge in the form of Robertson, who holds UFC female records for most career submissions and finishes. Robertson plans to go through Dern in order to capture the title, which would make her the first female Canadian fighter to win UFC gold.
Dern, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist, has won three straight fights, including a competitive decision win over Virna Jandiroba last October to claim the vacant strawweight title. Now, as champion, she reports that becoming 30% better just by winning the title is true, citing improvements in her striking technique.
Robertson, who made her UFC debut in 2017, has won seven of her last eight fights since 2022. She believes that her ground skills are being far overlooked in this matchup and that her advantages in wrestling will play a much bigger role.
Robertson plans to push the pace early and wear Dern down before going for the finish. But Dern has specifically pinpointed a late submission and admits that scoring one against the UFC's all-time women's leader has been the plan all along.
Both fighters are predicting late stoppages, with Robertson saying she will make the fight ugly for Dern and get her in the clinch to throw elbows. Dern, meanwhile, believes that Robertson is making a key mistake if she plans to go toe to toe with her.
The matchup features two fighters who have worked extremely hard in recent years to rebound from big defeats and evolve their skills and determination enough to author win streaks at the right time.
Dern has an elite chin and believes that Robertson is making a mistake if she plans to go toe to toe with her. "That crazy fight instinct that I have is definitely something I'm very confident that not a lot of the girls have," Dern said.
Robertson, meanwhile, believes that her advantages in wrestling and ground skills will play a much bigger role in the fight. "I guess I was never on any specific pathway, I was just always ready to fight and have fun with it," she said.
The two fighters will face off in the co-main event of UFC 330, which takes place at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. The event will be broadcast live on Paramount+.
The stage is set for a memorable showdown between two of the best women's fighters in the world.
Source: CBS