LAS VEGAS — Although the swelling and bruising meant his face had probably seen better days, there was little they could do. Gillian Robertson get upset about Saturday.
Following her dominant decision win over Michelle Waterson-Gomez (18-13 MMA, 6-9 UFC) on the preliminary card of UFC 303 at T-Mobile Arena, Robertson (14-8 MMA, 11-6 UFC) said the Biggest bummer about what for name value could be her biggest victory was that she had to sew the inside of her lip shut.
“Physically, I’m feeling great,” Robertson said in his post-fight press conference. “I actually had four or five stitches in my lip. Literally the first thing he said after the fight was like, ‘I can’t smoke weed tonight.’ So that was my biggest concern.”
Even if she has to deal with food for a few days, it might be worth it since her UFC career is blossoming lately. Robertson has won four of his last five fights, including three by stoppage – and two of those were for $50,000 bonuses.
She will also forever be linked to this piece as the woman who sent Waterson-Gomez into retirement, something she said she had a hunch could be coming.
“I considered it a possibility just knowing her age, where she is in this sport,” Robertson said. “I assumed it would probably be her fight for retirement. It’s such a strange sport: we’ve elbowed each other in the face a hundred times. Then I want to go and give her a hug because I see her crying. I respect her a lot in her career and in everything she has done for the sport. She is a veterinarian and has really made a name for herself among all the women in the sport.”
Robertson appears to be peaking at the right time in the women’s strawweight division. She said she wants another fight before the end of the year, probably in December, and so she figures she could have big things in store for 2025.
“I’m in 15th place, Michelle was in 14th. So from 1 to 13, I’m saying yes to anyone who calls,” Robertson said. “With each fight you will see me improve as a fighter. I’m evolving every day, and I think you see in every fight that I’m truly becoming a complete mixed martial artist – and becoming a champion.”
Watch Robertson’s full post-fight interview in the video above.
For more information on the card, visit the MMA Junkie events hub to UFC 303.
