“I was surprised”: Dana White reacts to Mackenzie Dern's dominance over Gillian Robertson

Mackenzie Dern squared off against Gillian Robertson in the co-main event at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. She dominated Roberston to successfully defend her UFC strawweight title. 

In the lead-up to the fight, many predicted a close battle between two high-level grapplers. However, it turned into a one-sided domination by Dern. She received widespread praise from the MMA community, and UFC CEO Dana White recently reacted to her victory. He admitted that he didn't expect the champion to dominate to that extent.

Dana White admits Mackenzie Dern's dominance over Gillian Robertson exceeded expectations

Dern mixed leg kicks with boxing combinations and repeatedly secured takedowns. She nearly finished Robertson in the first round with a rear-naked choke, but the challenger survived as the bell rang.

The champion continued with the same game plan throughout the fight, taking Robertson down and looking for submission opportunities. Although she couldn't submit the challenger, Dern remained in control for most of the fight and delivered a dominant performance.

Robertson found some success in the final round. She secured a takedown and landed a few ground-and-pound strikes, but it wasn't enough to change the outcome. The fight went to the judges' scorecards, with Dern securing a unanimous decision victory.

This performance left a lasting impression on fans and pundits, with Dern making a strong statement and showing exactly why she is the UFC strawweight champion.

In the post-event presser, White was asked about Dern’s performance. He revealed that he entered the fight as a Robertson fan but was surprised by how thoroughly Dern controlled the matchup. 

"I'm a Gillian fan. … I was surprised by how much Mackenzie dominated her on the ground and on the feet,,” White said.

Check out Dana White's comments below:

Dern's successful title defense showed how much she has evolved as a well-rounded fighter. While she couldn't get the submission finish she wanted, her ability to repeatedly take Robertson down and control the fight earned praise from the MMA community. 

Mackenzie Dern explains why she couldn't finish Gillian Robertson

Dern also acknowledged that she wanted to finish Robertson but credited the challenger for her strong defensive grappling. Speaking during her Octagon interview with Joe Rogan, the champion explained why she couldn't secure the submission despite coming close several times.

“I wanted to get the submission with Gillian, but she has good jiu-jitsu, you know,” Dern said. “So it's kind of hard to get the submission, but I think I got it pretty close and still the champion.” Dern said.

The champion also admitted that she would have liked to inflict more damage before attempting her submissions.

“Anyone who's fighting for the belt, they have decent enough defense, you know, so, but I wish I could do some more damage to set up the submissions better, but she's good,” Dern stated.

Dern became the UFC strawweight champion last October at UFC 321, where she faced Virna Jandiroba, who entered the fight riding a five-fight winning streak. In a hard-fought battle, Dern secured a unanimous decision victory to capture the vacant title.

Now that Dern has successfully defended her title for the first time, she has revealed that she wants to return in March next year and potentially fight twice in 2027.