Gillian Robertson details growing tension with Mackenzie Dern ahead of UFC 330

Gillian Robertson has called out strawweight champion Mackenzie Dern for allegedly backtracking on pre-fight criticism ahead of their UFC 330 title bout on August 15 at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.

Robertson (16–5), a Canadian challenger riding a five-fight winning streak, accused Dern (17–8) of shifting her narrative during fight week. According to Robertson, the champion spent much of training camp dismissing her jiu-jitsu and claiming unfamiliarity with her opponent, only to pivot toward a more neutral stance at media day. "She was making comments all through the camp about how she doesn't know me, she doesn't think my jiu-jitsu's good, and all this stuff," Robertson said. "Now she's like, 'Oh, no, it's not anything.' Why are we trying to take this back now? You're talking all this sh*t through camp. Keep that same energy."

The challenger made clear she has no interest in smoothing things over before fight night. "I don't like her right now," Robertson added. Dern, who has won three straight fights, recently stated that she neither likes nor dislikes Robertson because they lack a prior relationship—a claim Robertson views as inconsistent with earlier camp talk.

Both strawweights are submission specialists with strong grappling credentials, making their wrestling and jiu-jitsu claims a central storyline heading into the co-main event. Robertson enters her first UFC title fight as a significant underdog, while Dern defends her 115-pound crown against a challenger looking to upset the odds.