Gillian Robertson just dropped a bomb, straight up calling BS on her longtime coach Din Thomas’s public apology. Turns out, his private comments after her heartbreaking UFC 330 title loss revealed his on-air remarks were all for “TV purposes and ratings.” Yikes.
The Title Shot, The Loss, And The Betrayal
This whole messy situation exploded after Robertson, 31, fought Mackenzie Dern for the UFC strawweight title at UFC 330 this past Saturday. It was Robertson’s first ever UFC title bout, a massive moment earned after a phenomenal five-fight win streak. She holds the organization’s all-time women’s record for submission wins, and she’s tied for the most finishes in UFC women’s history. But after she suffered a unanimous decision loss, her longtime coach Din Thomas, 49, didn’t hold back. Appearing on the UFC 330 post-show, Thomas proclaimed that Robertson had gone “as far as she can go” in her career. He then announced his retirement from cornering fighters right there on broadcast. The MMA community, fighters and fans alike, exploded in immediate and intense backlash. And for good reason, right?
The ‘Apology’ That Had No Weight
Thomas, who also works as a broadcast analyst for Paramount+, eventually issued a public apology Monday on his “Deep Waters” podcast. He called his comments “completely irresponsible” and “despicable,” admitting he shouldn’t have done it and shouldn’t have “take away her moment.” But Robertson isn’t fooled, not for a second. In a statement to Uncrowned’s Ariel Helwani, the Canadian submission specialist revealed Thomas gave her absolutely no prior warning before making his post-fight remarks. Even worse, she said comments Thomas made “privately, to my team” since the broadcast have convinced her “there is not much weight” in his public apology. The truly damning part? He told her, “Me doing that publicly was more so for TV purposes and ratings.”
Robertson laid it all out: “Prior to [Saturday’s broadcast], I didn’t see any sign of what was to be said. After the broadcast, he had said, ‘I will address this in the morning,’ followed by, ‘Going live on [Deep Waters] in 15 minutes.’ He did reach out to me privately at 5 p.m. and then sent a voice message apologizing around 7:30 p.m., to which I have not responded due to comments he has made since the broadcast, privately, to my team that led me to believe there is not much weight in the apology.” She summed it up perfectly: “I don’t think there’s a conversation to be had. I’m good with everything. The people who sign my checks are cool.”
What’s Next For Gillian Robertson
Despite the incredibly frustrating situation and her first career title loss, Robertson remains a top-five ranked strawweight contender in the UFC. She’s not letting this sideline her mission. As she put it, “As for now, I regroup, take some time to heal, and I will be back in the gym as soon as possible on the same mission.” That’s the fighting spirit we expect, and you know she’s going to come back even hungrier. We’ll be watching for her return, ready to see her prove her coach wrong and climb back to that title shot.
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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