It took less than 48 hours for MMA coach and analyst Din Thomas to admit he screwed up, big time. Thomas, who was in Gillian Robertson’s corner for her strawweight title fight loss at UFC 330, just came out and said his post-fight announcement was “completely irresponsible” and even “despicable.” Seriously, he said “despicable.”
The Post-Fight Bombshell That Backfired
This whole thing exploded after Robertson’s fight this past Saturday in Philadelphia. She went five rounds against strawweight champion Mackenzie Dern, ultimately losing a unanimous decision in what was her first UFC title shot after 20 octagon appearances. The loss snapped an impressive five-fight winning streak for Robertson, who’s been grinding in the UFC for a minute. Immediately after the fight, Thomas left the corner, returned to the UFC 330 post-fight analyst desk, and dropped a bombshell. He announced he was “officially retiring from cornering fighters tonight,” claiming he’d continue “until I took Gillian as far as she could go.” He even likened it to Matt Serra’s retirement. Yikes. Social media, including fellow UFC broadcaster Jon Anik, absolutely erupted, putting Thomas on blast for being totally classless and distasteful given the timing.
“I Selfishly Stole Her Moment”
Well, Thomas heard the noise. On Monday, he hit up the “Deep Waters” podcast and was profusely apologetic. He admitted Saturday night was “the most inappropriate time” to talk about not wanting to corner again. “It was completely irresponsible. It was despicable. I shouldn’t have done it,” he said, owning every bit of it. Thomas genuinely felt like he “stole her moment” instead of celebrating her journey. This is a fighter he’s worked with for seven years, traveling, training, seeing her break records and go on “this amazing run” after she just wanted to win a couple in a row. He added, “I’m ashamed, I’m embarrassed, but I’m not too big to say I’m sorry.” Thomas even spoke directly to Robertson, saying, “Gillian, I love you. I’ve got your back. I’ve always had your back. This is not the end.” That’s big, especially considering Robertson, who is 31, said before the fight that winning the belt for them “would mean the world to me.” She stated, “Since I was 15 years old, Din and I have been working together. I think it really is our belt more than anything else.”
So, what’s next? Gillian Robertson just had her first shot at UFC gold after a long, hard road, and it sounds like she’s still got the full support of the coach who molded her into the fighter she is today. You gotta wonder how she comes back from this, both the loss and the public drama, but with Thomas’s apology, maybe the focus can shift back to her incredible fighting career.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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