Athletes
Gillian Robertson Brings Unique Jiu-Jitsu Style To Strawweight Division
Gillian Robertson Searches For Ninth Submission Victory In 115-Pound Debut Against Piera Rodriguez At UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs Allen
The UFC strawweight division welcomes a new challenger this weekend in Kansas City when former flyweight contender Gillian Robertson makes her UFC 115-pound debut against Piera Rodriguez.
All 13 of Robertson’s UFC bouts have taken place at flyweight, where she’s amassed eight victories, six by way of submission. Her decision to move down a weight division was an easy one. Naturally a lighter flyweight, Robertson was surprised by how easy her weight cuts used to be at 125 pounds and wanted to test the waters against a completely new set of opponents.
WATCH: Main Event Preview | UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs Allen
Wednesday morning of fight week, Robertson woke up already at 119 pounds, only three pounds over the strawweight division’s limit for a non-title bout. In mixed martial arts, cutting three pounds in 48 hours is a breeze.
The last time fans saw Robertson inside the Octagon was back in September, when she submitted Mariya Agapova in the first round at UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs Song. In the seven months since, Robertson’s adjusted her diet and training regimen at Goat Shed Academy in Miami, Florida, to make the entire process even easier.
Gillian Robertson Sinks In 2nd Round Rear Naked Choke | UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs Song
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Gillian Robertson Sinks In 2nd Round Rear Naked Choke | UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs Song
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“Lots and lots of training,” Robertson said reflecting on her seven months since her last fight. “I feel like we had to up it a lot because I am making the cut to 115. It’s been a lot of diet, training and just hard work.
“We increased the pace a lot, increased the intensity. I just feel like I have a different tenacity now… I feel like my game has completely changed since I went to Goat Shed. Everything has just evolved 100 percent. I’m a different fighter walking in there and you’ll see that on Saturday night.”
While Robertson believes many aspects of her game have evolved, one discipline is always at the top of her arsenal: jiu-jitsu. Robertson has finished eight of her 11 professional MMA wins by submission and continues to show that she’s capable of submitting anyone in the promotion – and quickly.
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In December, Robertson challenged former two-time UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas in a grappling match at Fury Pro Grappling 6. Robertson won via rear naked choke in less than two minutes.
“My jiu-jitsu style is just different than anyone else,” Robertson said. “I don’t approach the sport like traditional Brazilian jiu-jitsu [coaches] teach it. They don’t really know how to react to my style, and they don’t know when my chokes [are] coming, or what’s gonna happen.
“I was able to submit [Namajunas] in a grappling tournament in December for Fury FC. Obviously, it’s grappling, it’s an entirely different world, but it does mean the world to me to share the stage with her and get a win in 65 seconds. It’s definitely a confidence boost, but there’s a complete difference between grappling and MMA grappling, so whenever I get that win in the MMA scene, then that’s when it’ll mean something [more] to me.”
This weekend, Robertson challenges the undefeated Piera Rodriguez at UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs Allen. After making a splash on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2021, Rodriguez earned impressive victories over Kay Hansen and Sam Hughes in her 2022 campaign. Rodriguez is a well-rounded fighter; she mixes striking, clinch work and grappling into her offense. Robertson’s jiu-jitsu will be at the forefront to neutralize whatever Rodriguez decides to throw her way on Saturday.
“I think this is an obvious answer,” Robertson joked regarding her gameplan for her UFC strawweight debut. “Everybody always knows that I’m a jiu-jitsu girl; I love to be able to display a lot of ground-and-pound, really do some damage there and, obviously, my rear naked choke’s my thing. These girls keep falling into it, so I’d love to get another one.
“[Rodriguez] is definitely tough, she’s undefeated for a reason. She’s a smart fighter, but she’s never really been tested, and she’s never been dragged into deep waters. I feel like once we’re touching each other, it’s just going to be a different world that she’s not used to.”
UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs Allen took place live from T-Mobile Center in Kansas City on April 15, 2023. See the Final Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
