Gillian Robertson

Overview

Seven UFC submission wins, and a last fight that went the full five rounds. Gillian Robertson, "The Savage," fights at women's strawweight and carries a 14-7 UFC record into her next fight.

She is a grappler first, and the numbers say so. Her takedown volume is far better than the UFC average, and she attempts submissions at a rate better than average. Ten of her 14 UFC wins ended inside the distance: seven submissions, three TKOs.

The flip side is that she has lost five UFC fights on the scorecards. Finishing her opponents has been her best route to a win.

She enters her next fight on a one-fight losing streak.

UFC Career

Robertson debuted on November 30, 2017, at The Ultimate Fighter: A New World Champion Finale, submitting Emily Whitmire in the first round at 2:12. She followed with a second-round submission of Molly McCann in May 2018. Then came the first loss, a submission defeat to Mayra Bueno Silva at 4:55 of round one.

Five seconds from the bell. That's how thin the margin was.

She rebounded with a submission of Veronica Hardy and a second-round TKO of Sarah Frota at UFC 240. A first-round TKO loss to Maycee Barber, an opponent our model rates as strong, followed in October 2019.

The middle stretch was uneven. She submitted Cortney Casey in round three and beat Poliana Botelho by decision, then dropped three of four: unanimous decisions to Taila Santos, Miranda Maverick and JJ Aldrich, with a submission of Priscila Cachoeira at 4:59 of round one in between. Another loss, to Tabatha Ricci in June 2023, was also a unanimous decision.

Between those losses, she submitted Mariya Agapova and Piera Rodriguez, both in round two.

Her longest UFC win streak is five. It started with Polyana Viana in January 2024, a second-round TKO, and ran through decisions over Michelle Waterson-Gomez and Luana Pinheiro, a second-round TKO of Marina Rodriguez, and a unanimous decision over Amanda Lemos in March 2026. Lemos is another opponent our model rates as strong.

Then came the title fight. At UFC 330 in August 2026, Robertson fought Mackenzie Dern over five rounds and lost a unanimous decision.

Her first title fight, and it went the full 25 minutes.

Fighting Style

Gillian Robertson is a takedown-heavy grappler who hunts for submissions. She shoots far more often than most fighters in the UFC and goes after submissions at a higher rate than the UFC average. Seven of her 14 wins have come by submission, and four of those came in the second round.

She isn't only a submission threat. Three of her wins came by TKO, all in round two.

Her takedown defense is her weak spot, as she gets taken down more than most. On the feet, she's hard to hit and tends to take less damage than most fighters. Her own striking volume is lower than most, so her offense runs through the grappling.

Notable Wins

• Amanda Lemos — unanimous decision, round 3, UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs Vallejos (2026)
• Marina Rodriguez — TKO, round 2, UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs Figueiredo (2025)
• Cortney Casey — submission, round 3, UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Volkov (2020)
• Michelle Waterson-Gomez — unanimous decision, round 3, UFC 303 (2024)

Quick Facts

• Division: Women's Strawweight
• UFC record: 14-7
• Professional record (all promotions): 17-9-0
• UFC debut: 2017
• Stance: Orthodox
• Reach: 63"
• Team: The Goat Shed
• Born: Niagara Falls, ON, Canada