Don't expect to see Din Thomas in-cage, working fighters corners moving forward.
Thomas, a long-time MMA coach now turned UFC ****** yst, announced that he's done cornering fighters following Gillian Robertson's unanimous decision defeat at Saturday's UFC 330 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.
Thomas was working the UFC broadcast on Paramount+, and stepped out to corner Robertson (17-9 MMA, 14-7 UFC) in her strawweight ****** le fight against champion Mackenzie Dern (17-5 MMA, 12-5 UFC) in the co-main event of the card.
After the fights, on the ****** yst desk, Thomas revealed that was his last fight as a corner.
"I do have an announcement for you guys," Thomas said. "I told myself I would continue to do this until I took Gillian as far as she could go. I think that might be as far as she can go, and I am officially retiring from cornering fighters tonight.

#fighters

Islam Makhachev broke the UFC record for most consecutive victories on Saturday night in Philadelphia, but he had to work a lot harder than most thought he would. In the end, it wasn't a thrilling battle, but Makhachev did enough to defeat a game Ian Machado Garry in the main event of UFC 330 to retain the welterweight ******* le.
Following the event, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck and Jed Meshew react to UFC 330, Makhachev's win over Machado Garry, discuss the big takeaways, and potential struggles Makhachev could find himself in against Carlos Prates and Michael Morales. Additionally, topics include Mackenzie Dern's lopsided win over Gillian Robertson in her successful co-main event ******* le defense, Zhang Weili potentially returning to challenge Dern, other standout moments, the shocking upsets that happened, and much more.
Watch the UFC 330 post-fight show above, or an audio-only version of the show can also be streamed below and on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever else you get your pods.

#makhachev #machado #title #islam

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - AUGUST 15: (R-L) Mackenzie Dern punches Gillian Robertson of Canada in the UFC strawweight championship fight during the UFC 330 event at Xfinity Mobile Arena on August 15, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Mackenzie Dern dominated Gillian Robertson through most of her five-round successful ***** le defense en route to a unanimous decision win (49-46x2, 48-47) in Philadelphia at UFC 330. While there was no doubt who the better fighter was after 25 minutes of action, UFC ***** yst Joe Rogan thinks the champ made a mistake at the end of the bout. Let's talk UFC.
Winner: Mackenzie Dern
Opponent: Gillian Robertson
Official result: Unanimous decision

#dern

Mackenzie Dern successfully defended her strawweight **** le with a largely one-sided but somewhat lackluster outing against Gillian Robertson in the UFC 330 co-main event.
Takedowns and submission attempts ruled the day for Dern as she came close to finishing Robertson a couple of times during the fight but she mostly just maintained control and showed she was the superior grappler. Robertson really didn't produce any offense until the final round and even then she just managed to stay in control on the ground without really damaging Dern.
When it was over the judges scored the fight 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47 with Dern getting the unanimous decision victory.
"I'm super happy," Dern said about her win. "My first **** le win I got taken down a lot of times so I've been working on my wrestling. I'm still the champion. I definitely wanted to submit her, that was the goal. I try to get submissions in all my fights. I wish I could do some more damage to set up the submissions."
A striking exchange led to Robertson shooting for a takedown but Dern countered effectively before the strawweights separated again. Dern was very effective with her combinations including a stiff leg kick that kept chipping away at Robertson's base.

#dern #robertson #fight #really

Mackenzie Dern is now officially a defending UFC champion after she turned back Gillian Robertson in their UFC 330 ***** le fight.
Dern (17-5 MMA, 12-5 UFC) logged her first strawweight ***** le defense Saturday at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia with a unanimous decision triumph over Robertson (17-9 MMA, 14-7 UFC) in their co-main event clash.
The champion now awaits a potential return of Zhang Weili, although it's unknown if and when the former two-time champion intends to come back.
Check below for the top X (formerly Twitter) reactions to Dern beating Robertson at UFC 330:
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: 'We need a mercy rule': Fighters react to Mackenzie Dern's UFC 330 ***** le defense

#dern #title #gillian #saturday

Watch Mackenzie Dern vs. Gillian Robertson full fight video highlights from their UFC 330 co-main event showdown Saturday night, courtesy of multiple outlets.
Dern vs. Robertson took place Aug. 15 at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pa. Mackenzie Dern (17-5) and Gillian Robertson (17-9) squared off in the co-main event clash. The fight aired live on Paramount+.
Official result: Mackenzie Dern def. Gillian Robertson via unanimous decision (49-46 x2, 48-47)
Catch all the video highlights below.
For more on Dern vs. Robertson, check out the live blog below.

#mackenzie #highlights #below

With the action officially in the books from UFC 330 last night (Sat., Aug. 15, 2026) LIVE on Paramount+ from inside Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Penn., fight fans can check out the post-fight presser for all the best reaction and official bonus winners.
On a night that featured a main event showcase between UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev and streaking Irish contender Ian Machado Garry, a co-headliner pitting UFC women's strawweight **** leholder Mackenzie Dern against veteran finisher Gillian Robertson, and a jam-packed undercard full of veterans and rising prospects, there will be a lot to discuss when the fighters take to the stage.
The post-fight presser is scheduled to go LIVE in the above video player around 12:15 a.m. ET (Sunday). It will feature the biggest winners and losers from the card, as well as UFC CEO, Dana White, if we're lucky.
For more UFC 330 results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.

#winners #paramount

This is the UFC 330 live blog for Mackenzie Dern vs. Gillian Robertson, the strawweight championship co-main event Saturday at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.
Dern is currently ranked at No. 7 on the MMA Fighting Pound-for-Pound chart, while Robertson is No. 6 at 115 pounds in the Global Rankings.
This is the first ******* le defense for Dern (16-5), who became champion this past October at UFC 321 where she defeated Virna Jandiroba to win a belt vacated by Zhang Weili. Dern, a decorated Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion prior to pursuing a career in MMA, struggled to find consistency early in her UFC career, but strung together three crucial wins to put gold around her waist. She can cement herself as the true queen of the strawweight division with an impressive performance against Robertson.
Canada's Robertson (17-8) looks to become the first woman from her country to become UFC champion. Before Robertson, Alexis Davis, Valerie Letourneau, and Felicia Spencer all had their shot, but none were able to finish the story. Robertson began her UFC run as a flyweight but dropped down to 115 pounds and has since won five straight fights to earn her shot. She currently holds the record for the most UFC submissions by female fighter (7).
Check out the UFC 330 live blog for Mackenzie Dern vs. Gillian Robertson below.

#mackenzie #pound

UFC 330 takes place Saturday, and MMA Junkie will provide live round-by-round coverage and official results from the main card beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET (2:30 p.m. PT).
UFC 330 (Paramount+) takes place at Xfinity Mobile Center in Philadelphia.
In the main event, former lightweight champion Islam Makhachev (28-1 MMA, 17-1 UFC) aims to defend his welterweight **** le for the first time when he takes on Ian Machado Garry (17-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC). The co-main event features another **** le fight as strawweight champion Mackenzie Dern (16-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) puts her belt on the line for the first time against Gillian Robertson (17-8 MMA, 14-6 UFC).
Below, check out our round-by-round updates and official results for the main card.
UFC 330 is available on Paramount+ to anyone with a subscription.

#round #champion

MMA Fighting has UFC 330 results for the Makhachev vs. Machado Garry fight card, live blogs of the entire main card, and more from the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia on Saturday night.
In the main event, Islam Makhachev looks to join a very short list of UFC champions to defend his UFC belt in two separate divisions when he puts UFC welterweight ******* le on the line against Ian Machado Garry. Makachev has won 16 straight fights, while Garry is 10-1 in the UFC.
UFC strawweight champion Mackenzie Dern defends her ******* le for the first time against Gillian Robertson in the co-main event. Dern has won three straight fights, while Robertson has recorded five wins in a row.
Check out UFC 330 results below.
Chidi Njokuani vs. Joel Alvarez

#results #title

Islam Makhachev (170) vs.Ian Garry (170) Mackenzie Dern(115) vs. Gillian Robertson (115) Kaue Fernandes (156) vs.Jalin Turner (156) MansurAbdul-Malik (186) vs. Dustin Stoltzfus (185) Edson Barboza (156)vs. Esteban Ribovics (156) Joel Alvarez (171) vs.Chidi Njokuani (171) Charles Johnson(129.5) vs. Eduardo Henrique (129.5) Donte Johnson (184.5)vs. Eric McConico (186) Tresean Gore (186) vs.Vicente Luque (186) Lucas Fernando (205)vs. Rafael Tobias (204) Ramiz Brahimaj (170) vs.Neil Magny (171) Myktybek Orolbai(170.5) vs. Jeremiah Wells (171) Sherdog's live UFC330 "Makhachev vs. Garry" coverage will begin Saturday at 5:30p.m. ET.
Welterweights light the fuse for UFC 330 at Xfinity Mobile Arena inPhiladelphia, where Orolbai (16-2-1, 5-1 UFC) squares off withWells (13-4-1, 5-2 UFC) at 170 pounds. Blake Grice adjudicatesmatters. No glove touch in the opener. Wells whiffs on an overhandright. The heavily favored Orolbai stalks from the center andcounters an attempted high kick with a left hook. Wells unloadswith a multi-punch volley, catches Orolbai off-guard and presseshim into the fence. They separate. Lots of feints from Orolbai.Body kick from Wells. Orolbai catches it and procures a takedown,setting up in half guard. He works from top position, though Wellsrefuses to cooperate. Orolbai stands, maneuvers behind the Americanand briefly climbs to full mount. Wells escapes and clings to asingle-leg. Orolbai floats back to half guard, then sneaks behindhis opponent again. Wells somersaults but cannot break free andeats a series of left hands to the side of the head. Ninety secondsto go in the round. More ground-and-pound from Orolbai, who hasseized control after a shaky start. He frees his left hand andplasters Wells with another burst of left hands. Orolbai maintainscontrol and continues to build his lead, landing knees to thebuttocks. He lands another sweeping left as the roundconcludes.

Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Orolbai
Tudor Leonte scores the round: 10-9 Orolbai
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Orolbai
Back at it for the middle stanza. Slow start through 30 seconds.Orolbai throws a crescent kick, then resets. He steps into anoverhand right, backs off under return fire and throws anotheroverhand. Orolbai ducks in on a single-leg and secures a takedown.Wells gets to his feet but pays the price, eating several punches.Another takedown for Orolbai, who lands in half guard and frames akimura. He moves to side control, still clinging to the shoulderlock. Wells stays safe initially and forces his opponent to bail onthe submission. Orolbai lands knees to the body. Wells scrambles tohis feet and braces himself against the fence. Orolbai forces himto take a knee at the base of the cage and scores with knees to thebackside. Wells stands again. Orolbai sneaks behind him with onehook laced and drags the American to the mat. He sets his secondhook. Wells reverses into top position. Orolbai immediately gets tohis feet. They return

UFC 330 is headlined by two champions attempting to make their first ******* le defenses, and you can watch a live-streamed watch-along with MMA Junkie Radio hosts "Gorgeous" George and "Goze" right here at at 7 p.m. ET.
In the main event, former lightweight champion Islam Makhachev (28-1 MMA, 17-1 UFC) aims to defend his welterweight ******* le for the first time when he takes on Ian Machado Garry (17-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC). The co-main event features another ******* le fight as strawweight champion Mackenzie Dern (16-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) puts her belt on the line for the first time against Gillian Robertson (17-8 MMA, 14-6 UFC).
UFC 330 (Paramount+) takes place Saturday at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.
Check out the watch-along in the video above.
Islam Makhachev vs. Ian Machado Garry – for welterweight ******* le

#machado #garry #along

PHILADELPHIA - UFC 330 ceremonial weigh-ins are in the books, and the fighters came face-to-face one final time before the organization's seventh numbered event of the year.
The weigh-ins took place at Xfinity Mobile Arena, which hosts the promotion's first visit to the "City of Brotherly Love" on Saturday (Paramount+).
UFC 330 is built around a pair of highly anticipated championship fights. Islam Makhachev (28-1 MMA, 17-1 UFC) puts the welterweight strap on the line against Ian Machado Garry (17-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) in the main event, while strawweight ***** leholder Mackenzie Dern (16-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) takes on Gillian Robertson (17-8 MMA, 14-6 UFC) in the co-main event.
Outside of the that, there is just one local fighter on the card, as well as a less-than-desirable amount of ranked athletes to fill things out.
Nevertheless, all 12 scheduled matchups had staredowns on the eve of the event Friday, and you can see the complete video highlight above.

#main #philadelphia #brotherly

It all goes down tomorrow night (Sat., Aug. 15, 2026) at UFC 330 LIVE on Paramount+ from inside Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Penn., as pound-for-pound great, Islam Makhachev, puts his UFC welterweight ****** le on the line against Irish contender, Ian Machado Garry, in the main event.
While UFC 330's fight card doesn't scream "biggest event of the year," it's still packing quite the punch as the promotion returns to Philly for the first time in over seven years. Not only is Makhacvhev looking to break Anderson Silva's long-standing UFC record of 16-straight wins, but Mackenzie Dern is aiming to defend her UFC women's strawweight ****** le for the first time in the co-headliner against surging contender Gillian Robertson.
On Friday, all fighters took to the stage for UFC 330's ceremonial weigh ins. At the end of it, each combatant squared off on stage for one final staredown. This is always a good chance for fans to size the fighters up and see who might have the physical (as well as psychological) advantage ahead of Saturday night.
Check out the official ceremonial face offs below and let us know!
Islam Makhachev vs. Ian Machado Garry

#Event

The fighters competing at Saturday's UFC 330 event in Philadelphia officially weighed in on Friday morning. At 6 p.m. ET, the athletes will participate in the event's ceremonial weigh-in.
The fight card is headlined by two world ***** le fights. The main event features a welterweight ***** le bout between champion Islam Makhahev and No. 2 ranked Ian Machado Garry. In the co-main event. women's strawweight champion Mackenzie Dern puts her belt on the line against No. 4 ranked Gillian Robertson.

#philadelphia

Islam Makhachev is already one of the greatest fighters of his generation, but can he become the Greatest of All Time?
On Saturday, Makhachev defends his welterweight ******* le for the first time, taking on Ian Machado Garry in the main event of UFC 330 in Philadelphia. Makhachev is the top pound-for-pound fighter in the sport, and with a win, will set the record for most consecutive wins in UFC history. But is Garry the man to stop Makhachev's march to greatness?
MMA Fighting's Jed Meshew and Alexander K. Lee preview this Saturday's UFC 330 fight card, breakdown the main event matchup between Makhachev and Garry, dive into the co-main event ******* le fight between Mackenzie Dern and Gillian Robertson, answer viewer questions, and more.
Watch the UFC 330 preview show in the video above. Audio only episodes can also be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and wherever you find your favorite podcasts.
View Link

#makhachev #title

Mackenzie Dern faced Virna Jandiroba in the UFC 321 co-main event with the vacant women's strawweight championship on the line. She defeated Jandiroba via unanimous decision to capture the women's 115-pound championship. Look back at Dern's championship performance.
Dern puts her belt on the line for the first time in the UFC 330 co-main event on Aug. 15 against fellow submission specialist Gillian Robertson.

#dern

Mackenzie Dern has been a ferocious competitor for almost her entire life but that doesn't mean she makes things personal with all of her opponents.
From a multitude of grappling **** les to her current reign as UFC strawweight champion, Dern has never backed down from a challenge but she's also never really engaged much in trash talk. That's why she was confused to hear her next opponent Gillian Robertson claim that she didn't like her very much ahead of their fight at UFC 330.
While there has been a little bit of back-and-forth between the fighters, Dern doesn't actually have anything against Robertson other than the Canadian strawweight trying to take her belt on Saturday.
"It's funny that people say that because I felt like she was the one who was [trying to build the tension]," Dern told MMA Fighting on Tuesday. "She's kind of been talking about submissions and why are people talking about me when she has the most submissions on Joe Rogan's podcast and things like that, at least clips from what I've seen. I didn't know who she was.
"I don't have anything against her but I guess we do have some competitiveness right now besides the fact that we're going to be punching each other in the face. We've kind of been talking back and forth about who has better submissions and this and that. Who has better grappling in MMA? I'm not someone to put someone down to make myself go up. I definitely took that from her end. I have nothing against her. I've never even met her."

#talking #doesn 't

The UFC is back in the "City of Brotherly Love" for the first time in more than seven years, and the popular "Embedded" fight week video series is here to document what's happening behind the scenes.
UFC 330 (Paramount+), the promotion's seventh numbered event of the calendar year, takes place Saturday at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.
In the main event, former lightweight champion Islam Makhachev (28-1 MMA, 17-1 UFC) aims to defend his welterweight ****** le for the first time when he takes on Ian Machado Garry (17-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC). The co-main event features another ****** le fight as strawweight champion Mackenzie Dern (16-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) puts her belt on the line for the first time against Gillian Robertson (17-8 MMA, 14-6 UFC).
The second episode of "Embedded" follows the featured fighters while they get ready for fight week. Here is the UFC's description of the episode from YouTube:
Islam Makhachev catches a shark; Edson Barboza spends the day at home with his family; Chidi Njokuani teaches a class at his gym and opens up about his coach's recent passing; Jalin Turner attends church; Mackenzie Dern takes her daughter to Hershey's Chocolate Factory; Gillian Robertson puts in a hard training session; Islam Makhachev goes for a run on the Jersey Shore.

#embedded

The UFC concludes its summer numbered event run on Saturday with UFC 330 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. The entire event streams on Paramount+.
Headlining the promotion's first visit to the city since 2019 is a welterweight championship showdown between Islam Makhachev (28-1 MMA, 17-1 UFC), who seeks history in his first defense, and Irish challenger Ian Machado Garry (17-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC).
Additionally, the co-main event sees strawweight champion Mackenzie Dern (16-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) look for her own first ******* le defense against Gillian Robertson (17-8 MMA, 14-6 UFC).
For the numbers behind both ******* le bouts, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie's UFC 330 pre-event facts.
Makhachev is one of 14 fighters to be undisputed UFC welterweight champion.

#saturday #xfinity

Hello everyone, and welcome back for another week of rankings in the UFC. What a wild card we had in Las Vegas on Saturday as Quillan Salkilld showed the world he's ready to take on the rest of the Lightweight division by defeating Mateusz Gamrot by submission.
This week we're headed to Philadelphia, PA for UFC 330, which features two **** le fights. The first of these fights is Mackenzie Dern versus Gillian Robertson, with the main event featuring Islam Makhachev versus Ian Machado-Garry.
Both of these matches are going to be great, but only one of those fights features someone who is covered in this article. Let's get to this week's rankings and see who made it. Have a great day, everyone, and may the fights be with you.
MORE: UFC Power Rankings following Fight Night 283 in Belgrade
May 9, 2026; Newark, New Jersey, UNITED STATES; Joshua Van (red gloves) celebrates after defeating Tatsuro Taira (blue gloves) during UFC 328 at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images

#fights #everyone

On the first episode of UFC 330 Embedded, welterweight champ Islam Makhachev makes coffee for his team before training; Strawweight champion Mackenzie Dern focuses on her grappling defense; Donte Johnson trains with Middleweight champ Sean Strickland; Vicente Luque fishes with his son; Gillian Robertson prepares for her first UFC ****** le fight; Edson Barboza reflects on how he became a fighter.
UFC 330 Countdown gives a behind-the-scenes look during fight week. The UFC 330 main event features a welterweight ****** le bout between champion Islam Makhahev and No. 2 ranked Ian Machado Garry.

#welterweight #champ #champion

Amanda Lemos and Alexia Thainara meet on the UFC Fight Night 284 main card Saturday at Meta APEX in Las Vegas. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie ******* yst Dan Tom.
Last event's results: 4-2
UFC main cards, 2026: 83-44-1
Lemos (15-6-1 MMA, 9-6 UFC) has lost back-to-back unanimous decisions against Tatiana Suarez and Gillian Robertson. Her last win came against Iasmin Lucindo at UFC 313 last March.
Thainara (14-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) aims to extend her winning streak to 13. She is unbeaten in the UFC through three fights, with his most recent win being a unanimous decision over Bruna Brasil in March.

#thainara #march #main #back

Sorry, Philly.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, next weekend for UFC 330, which goes down Sat., Aug. 15, 2026, inside Xfinity Mobile Arena.
And on paper, the top of the card is pretty strong (the rest … not so much).
Welterweight champion and pound-for-pound king Islam Makhachev defends his 170-pound ******* le for the first time against Ireland's Ian Machado Garry in the main event, while Mackenzie Dern defends her ******* le for the first time against Gillian Robertson in the co-main event.
Two ******* le fights.

#pound #defends #Event #ultimate

Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) on Sunday said his colleague Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who died suddenly the night before, could be "loud and obvious, and sometimes even obnoxious."
Scott reflected on his time working with Graham in the Senate during an appearance on "Fox News Sunday" with Gillian Turner, saying Graham's death left a hole in the Senate that "cannot be filled" and that it could take "many of us to step up to the plate and take on the responsibilities that he had from a global perspective."
"And as you know, I know Lindsey Graham was never kind and gentle about the priorities he had," Scott later said. "He was loud and obvious, and sometimes even obnoxious, because he understood that he had the power of a microphone to make a difference, not for himself but for others."
Graham's office said the senator died after a "brief and sudden illness" on Saturday night. He was 71.
Scott said he spoke with Graham about issues affecting South Carolinians, including foreign policy and affordability.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 15: Islam Makhachev of Russia reacts to his win over Jack Della Maddalena of Australia in the UFC welterweight championship fight during the UFC 322 event at Madison Square Garden on November 15, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
The next UFC ******* le fights take place at UFC 330. That event, which is scheduled for August 15 at Philadelphia’s Xfinity Mobile Arena, will see two UFC belts on the line. In the main event, UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev faces Ian Machado Garry. Meanwhile, in the co-main event, Mackenzie Dern puts her strawweight ******* le on the line against Gillian Robertson. The UFC recently officially confirmed 10 fights for the upcoming fight card.
Islam Makhachev vs. Ian Machado Garry
Mackenzie Dern vs. Gillian Robertson
Neil Magny vs. Ramiz Brahimaj
Jalin Turner vs. Kauê Fernandes
Geoff Neal vs. Chidi Njokuani
Mansur Abdul-Malik vs. Dustin Stoltzfus
Jeremiah Wells vs. Myktybek Orolbai
Vicente Luque vs. Tresean Gore
Edson Barboza vs. Esteban Ribovics
Erin Blanchfield vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius
FORBES | By Trent Reinsmith
UFC 329: Fight Card Order Set For McGregor Vs. Holloway 2
ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - OCTOBER 21: Islam Makhachev of Russia reacts after his knockout victory against Alexander Volkanovski of Australia in the UFC lightweight championship fight during the UFC 294 event at Etihad Arena on October 21, 2023 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

It looks like Mackenzie Dern will have to wait a bit longer for her to fully silence some of her doubters.
Dern (16-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) finally booked her first fight as UFC strawweight champion – a ****** le defense against top contender Gillian Robertson in the co-main event of UFC 330 on Aug. 15 at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. Although there's no denying Robertson (17-8 MMA, 14-6 UFC) is a deserving contender, many expected Dern to face Zhang Weili, who never lost the strawweight belt. She vacated it to pursue a second divisional ****** le at flyweight. Weili ended up coming short against UFC women's flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko in November, and voiced her interest in a return to 115 pounds.
Dern, like many, was under the impression this was her next fight, but for some reason, it didn't materialize.
"I can't give you that response," Dern said on "The Ariel Helwani Show." "I don't know. I don't know. They were talking about Weili. They had mentioned Macau, and the White House, New Jersey. I'm not sure what happened or what's going on. They came back with Gillian Robertson, I think after her win against Amanda Lemos, that was maybe April. So yeah, it's August 15."
Because Weili vacated the belt and never lost it, many still see her as the best female fighter at 115 pounds. Dern is well aware of the narrative that's been built, but even then wasn't sad she didn't get the opportunity to erase any doubts.

Mackenzie Dern was widely expected to face the dominant former UFC strawweight champion, Zhang Weili, in her first ***** le defense. She instead finds herself matched against fellow jiu-jitsu ace Gillian Robertson at UFC 330 on Aug. 15.
Dern, 33, claimed the vacant 115-pound throne in Zhang's absence at UFC 321 last October, scoring a decision win over Virna Jandiroba and setting Dern up for a potential clash with a returning Zhang, who left the division in 2025 in pursuit of flyweight gold. Zhang ultimately came up short against pound-for-pound queen Valentina Shevchenko, but her departure nonetheless opened the door to strawweight's top contenders, and Dern capitalized.
Where does that leave Zhang at present? Dern has no idea, she revealed Monday on "The Ariel Helwani Show."
"I can't give you that response. I don't know," Dern told Uncrowned when asked why that fight isn't happening next. "They were talking about Weili. They had mentioned [UFC] Macau, then the White House, [then] New Jersey. So I'm not sure what happened or what's going on, but they came back with Gillian Robertson, I think, after her win against Amanda Lemos [in March]. ... I'm not sure what the deal with Weili is or what is happening."
Ultimately, Dern isn't upset by the delay in facing an all-time great.

By Elizabeth Howcroft, John O'Donnell and Francesco Canepa
PARIS/BERLIN, June 24 (Reuters) - Crypto platform Binance intends to stay in the European Union and will ‌make a fresh push for permission to operate there, a senior executive ‌told Reuters, after its application under a new licence regime failed, threatening access for millions of users.
"Binance is not leaving Europe," Gillian Lynch, head of Europe and the United Kingdom, told Reuters, after its bid to secure a licence in Greece to offer services such as crypto trading in the EU unravelled.
"We may just have a different pathway ‌to being authorised," she said. "If ⁠it is not Greece, I'm looking at other alternatives."
The comments put Binance on a potential collision course with European regulators. The ⁠company has one week to secure a licence before its current permission to operate in Europe expires, which would require it to wind down EU operations.

The No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in MMA finally has his next ***** ignment.
Islam Makhachev is set to make the first defense of his UFC welterweight ***** le against Ian Machado Garry on Aug. 15 at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. The bout headlines a card that also features Mackenzie Dern defending her UFC strawweight ***** le against Gillian Robertson in the co-main event. UFC announced the news Wednesday.
Makhachev (28-1) has been out of action since November, when he dominated Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 to capture the welterweight ***** le in his divisional debut. The performance made Makhachev a two-weight UFC champion and pulled him into a tie for the longest win streak in UFC history (16).
Prior to moving up to 170 pounds, Makhachev set the new standard for lightweight excellence in the UFC, establishing a new promotional record for the most consecutive lightweight ***** le defenses with four.
Machado Garry (17-1) has won 10 of his 11 Octagon appearances, including two straight over top contenders Carlos Prates and Belal Muhammad since suffering a short-notice loss to Shavkat Rakhmonov in December 2024.