Gillian Robertson thinks Mackenzie Dern will pay the price if she doesn’t fully acknowledge the threat to her belt at UFC 330.
Dern (16-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) will seek her first strawweight title defense in the Aug. 15 co-headliner against Robertson (17-8 MMA, 14-6 UFC) at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia (Paramount+).
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The matchup is historic on the women’s side, with Robertson and Dern combining for the most all-time submission wins in a female title fight. Despite that, Dern claimed her challenger is not on the same level in terms of grappling skills, and Robertson said that mentality is a mistake.
“It seems like she’s never really watched me before, honestly,” Robertson told MMA Junkie on Tuesday. “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.”
Although Dern, No. 2 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie strawweight rankings, might not hold her opponent in the highest esteem, No. 6-ranked Robertson is not taking her first championship test lightly. She will admit that Dern has flaws, but she knows the tenacity of the current 115-pound queen makes up for some tactical weaknesses.
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“I definitely think she has a lot of fight in her,” Robertson said. “She fights hard and she’s aggressive with it. I think she does leave a lot of holes in that. She is a little bit sloppy, especially on the feet and wrestling situations. Obviously, her bread and butter is when she’s on her back on the ground, is when she’s most dangerous. I still think I can work my ground-and-pound, and she hasn’t felt top pressure like mine before.”
It’s taken Robertson, 31, a total of 20 fights under the UFC banner to reach her first crack at gold against Dern, 33. It was a goal in her career, but not one that she’s ever become consumed by.
Robertson said she always knew this chance would come if she approached every fight the right way, and she’s maintaining that at UFC 330, even if the stakes are significantly higher.
“For me, it’s always just about going in there and performing,” Robertson said. “I genuinely feel like if I don’t perform that night and still win, I won’t be gratified still. I need to go out there and put on a performance I’m happy with it.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Gillian Robertson: Mackenzie Dern ‘underestimating me’ before UFC 330 title fight
