Gillian Robertson claims longest path to title shot at UFC 330

Gillian Robertson believes she has taken the longest path to a championship fight of any female fighter in UFC history. Speaking during the UFC 330 media day on Wednesday, the Canadian fighter noted that this upcoming bout will mark her 21st appearance in the promotion.

Robertson, who shares the record for the most finishes among women in the UFC with Amanda Nunes, will face strawweight champion Mackenzie Dern in the co-main event. The challenger acknowledged that while the matchup is viewed as a contest between grapplers, she expects Dern to use aggressive striking and leave openings for her own attacks.

The fight is also marked by personal tension. Robertson stated that she does not like Dern, claiming the champion made disparaging remarks about her jiu-jitsu skills throughout their training camps. Despite Dern's public attempts to downplay the friction, Robertson insisted that the champion should maintain the same energy she displayed during the camp.

The road to the title included significant challenges, including a period spent competing at flyweight and losses to fighters such as Maycee Barber, Tabatha Ricci, and Miranda Maverick. Robertson recalled a moment following a TKO loss to Barber where her coach suggested her career might be over, but she maintained her focus on moving forward.

If Robertson secures a victory via submission, she believes it would be a career-defining achievement because Dern is one of the most decorated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners in the UFC and has never been submitted in the octagon. Looking ahead, Robertson identified Weili Zhang and Fatima Kline as potential future opponents. While she prefers to fight in Canada, she expressed a willingness to travel to Shanghai to face Zhang.