Mackenzie Dern retains UFC 330 title but wanted a better win

Mackenzie Dern retained the UFC women’s strawweight championship by beating Gillian Robertson in the co-main event of UFC 330 in Philadelphia. The victory was Dern’s fourth in a row, but the champion said her performance fell short of the level she wanted.

Dern was pleased with her wrestling and the control she maintained throughout the contest. However, she had hoped to submit Robertson rather than settle for a win that did not fully satisfy her.

The champion identified a key decision during the fight: whether to remain in position and cause more damage or continue pursuing a submission. She felt that a rear-naked choke had been close to finishing the contest and believed the opportunity might have been converted had she secured it around 15 seconds earlier.

Dern said those moments showed her where she still needs to improve, including her ability to defend the title repeatedly. Despite her frustration, she considered the victory an important step in establishing herself as a legitimate champion in the eyes of fans.

Robertson entered the bout on a five-fight winning run, while Dern pointed to Virna’s four-fight streak as another significant challenge she had overcome. With her own winning run now at four, Dern argued that her record of recent victories had strengthened her claim to the championship.

She also rejected the idea that defeating Zhang Weili was necessary for her to be regarded as champion. Dern said she had already felt like a champion before winning the belt, and that the successful defence against Robertson further confirmed her status. Her focus now is on correcting the details exposed at UFC 330 and adding more defences, regardless of who comes next.