UFC 330: Mackenzie Dern Says Gillian Robertson Is the One With the Problem

Mackenzie Dern insists there is no bad blood on her side ahead of her UFC 330 title showdown with Gillian Robertson, despite her challenger accusing her of being dismissive in the lead-up to the fight.

The reigning UFC women’s strawweight champion will defend her belt against Robertson in Saturday’s co-main event at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Earlier this week, Robertson suggested Dern’s recent media comments carried a disrespectful tone, claiming the champion had repeatedly downplayed her accomplishments.

Dern: “I Don’t Know Her Well Enough to Dislike Her”

Dern rejected the idea that she has any personal issue with Robertson and said she was surprised by the accusations.

“I don’t like her or dislike her because I don’t really know her,” Dern told reporters during Wednesday’s media day. “I respect what she’s accomplished, especially tying the record for the most finishes. This week I’ve actually learned a lot more about her.

“She probably paid much more attention to me than I ever paid to her. She spent most of her UFC career at flyweight, so she wasn’t even in my division. When she moved down, she was focused on me and Weili, while I wasn’t paying attention to who was behind me. It’s nothing personal. I respect her journey, but I honestly think she’s the one who doesn’t like me.”

Champion Says Robertson Was Never on Her Radar

Dern admitted Robertson had not been one of the opponents she closely followed, but stressed it had nothing to do with disrespect.

“When the UFC mentioned that the winner of Amanda Lemos vs. Gillian Robertson could be my next challenger, Amanda was the first name that came to mind because I had already lost to her,” Dern explained.

“Then I looked at Gillian’s résumé. She had won four straight fights at the time, and now it’s five. In the strawweight division, that kind of streak can move you into title contention very quickly. Once I saw that, I thought, ‘Yeah, this makes perfect sense.’

“I was happy with the matchup, too. We’re both grapplers, so I think it has all the ingredients to be a great fight.”