Rising women’s strawweight contender Gillian Robertson has been having problems getting an opponent that makes it to the octagon.
“Savage” was scheduled to face Iasmin Lucindo at UFC on ESPN 73 in December but Lucindo was forced out of the bout due to an undisclosed injury. Lucindo was replaced by former champion Amanda Lemos but Lemos was removed from the match on the day of the event due to a mouth injury. The two will now fight at UFC Vegas 114 on March 14.
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Robertson will enter the fight ranked No. 8 in the division and riding a four-fight winning streak. If she defats the No. 5 ranked former champion, Robertson plans to call for a title shot.
“I feel like this is my opportunity to get close to that title shot. You know, I’m going to be calling for it after this one,” Robertson told UFC Unfiltered.
“I just think I got to go out there and make myself undeniable when I fight, you know? I gotta go out there, get a finish and show that I’m exciting. I feel like there’s not a lot of girls right now that are trying to do that like that are really finishing that are being exciting,” she continued.
“I feel like right now on social media the big thing is guys are always like when a female fight comes on it’s time for a bathroom break. I want to break that stigma and I want to show that the UFC knows that I’m trying to break stigma when I go out there and fight.”
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If she’s able to secure a fight against champion Mackenzie Dern with a win over Lemos, Robertson likes the matchup. It would be a bout between two of the highest level grapplers in the division.
“I think that’s the fight that’s been in the making for years, you know? She’s coming over from jiu-jitsu, the champion in no gi and gi and I have the most submissions in the women’s MMA. So, it’s like everybody has wanted to see that fight, and I feel like what better way to do it than for the belt,” Robertson said.
“I think that my style does stack up great against her. I think that she’s aggressive, but it’s kind of uncontrolled aggression, you know, where like she leaves a lot of holes. She’s going to come at you and she’s always going to attack you, but there’s going to be opportunities to capitalize on that.”
