Mackenzie
Dern didn’t get the submission she wanted, but still retained
her
Ultimate Fighting Championship strawweight title.
Dern successfully defended the belt via a lopsided decision,
out-grappling Gillian
Robertson for five rounds in the UFC
330 co-main event at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. The
champ came close to finding the finish, but the challenger’s
durability ultimately saw the bout go the distance.
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Mackenzie Dern controls Gillian Robertson for five rounds in
UFC 330 title defense
Dern showcased significant improvement to her wrestling and
striking in his first title defense, but largely relied on her
credentialed jiu-jitsu to get the job done.
“I’m super happy,” Dern said in her post-fight interview with Joe
Rogan. “My first title win. I got taken down a lot of times, so
I’ve been working on my wrestling. I’m still the champion.”
Robertson was outspoken about claiming to be the superior grappler
in the lead-up to the fight and Dern admits it was her goal to
submit the Canadian. However, fatigue in the championship rounds
and the challenger’s defensive skills ultimately took effect.
“I try to get submissions in all my fights,” Dern added. “I wish I
could do some more damage to set up the submissions better, but
she’s good. Like in the fourth and fifth rounds, my legs started to
feel a little bit tired.”