Gillian Robertson believes Mackenzie Dern is underestimating her ahead of UFC 330 title fight
The Canadian challenger believes the strawweight champion hasn't given her enough credit ahead of their championship clash at UFC 330.
Gillian Robertson believes Mackenzie Dern has underestimated the challenge she brings to the Octagon. Ahead of their strawweight title fight at UFC 330, the Canadian contender suggested the Brazilian has overlooked her skills. Now, Robertson hopes to make the champion pay for that mistake when they meet in Philadelphia.
Gillian Robertson Thinks Dern Underestimating Her
Mackenzie Dern faces a major test at UFC 330. At the Aug. 15 event in Philadelphia, the Brazilian will put her strawweight title on the line for the first time against Gillian Robertson. Her opponent, who enters the fight riding a five-fight winning streak, believes Dern may be overlooking the threat she presents.
Speaking to MMA Junkie, Robertson suggested she was surprised by Dern's comments and said the champion may not fully recognize her abilities.
"It seems like she's never really watched me before, honestly," Robertson began, "I'm like, 'You know we're fighting in like six weeks?' Just the way she was talking, it's like she doesn't even know my skills, my ability. It seemed like she didn't know a lot about me, which I guess is all for my benefit. I think she might be underestimating me a little bit. Obviously, the ground has always been her world, so she expects it to be that way. There's no better way to end that (than a submission), but I'm happy with the TKO, too."
Those remarks came after Dern appeared on The Ariel Helwani Show and suggested Robertson is not on her level when it comes to grappling.
Interestingly, the Canadian holds the record for the most submission victories in UFC women's history and has also recorded more submission wins in her professional MMA career than Dern, with nine compared to the champion's eight. Their title fight is shaping up to be a fascinating clash between two of the UFC's best grapplers.
Gillian Robertson Has Momentum
Fighting in the UFC since 2017, "The Savage" will receive her first title opportunity after 20 bouts with the promotion. The championship fight also comes at the best moment of her career, as Robertson enters UFC 330 on a five-fight winning streak that includes a victory over former title challenger Amanda Lemos.
Whether Dern has underestimated her or not, Robertson will have the opportunity to prove her point when they meet inside the Octagon on Aug. 15.
