{"id":358578,"date":"2026-06-30T08:59:40","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T03:29:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/?p=358578"},"modified":"2026-06-30T08:59:40","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T03:29:40","slug":"mackenzie-dern-reveals-how-gillian-robertson-beat-out-weili-zhang-for-ufc-330-title-shot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/2026\/06\/30\/mackenzie-dern-reveals-how-gillian-robertson-beat-out-weili-zhang-for-ufc-330-title-shot\/","title":{"rendered":"Mackenzie Dern reveals how Gillian Robertson beat out Weili Zhang for UFC 330 title shot"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

\n
\n
Follow us on Google Discover<\/span> <\/a> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Mackenzie Dern has explained how she ended up not taking up Weili Zhang in her first title defence this summer.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Zhang failed in her effort to maneuver as much as flyweight and grow to be a two-weight world champion against Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 322. And after the actual fact, it seemed obvious that she would move back all the way down to reclaim her belt at 115lb.<\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n
\n
\n
<\/header>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

Tell us your thoughts on WMMA.<\/h3>\n

Some fans use female fights as a likelihood to grab a beer or go to the bathroom.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n
\n
\"Joanna<\/div>
Joanna J\u0119drzejczyk after her first fight with Zhang Weili. Credit: Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLC)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n

Nonetheless, Dana White confirmed last week that the newly-crowned champion Dern would make her first defence against Gillian Robertson. The fight will function co-main event to UFC 330 which is headlined by Islam Makhachev\u2019s welterweight title defence against Ian Machado Garry.<\/p>\n

XX: X<\/p>\n

Mackenzie Dern unsure about why Weili Zhang missed out on UFC 330<\/h2>\n

After picking up gold in Abu Dhabi back in October, Mackenzie Dern has been made to attend for her first time defending the belt. She expected that to be against Weili Zhang, but was as a substitute offered the Canadian contender Gillian Robertson.<\/p>\n

Asked why the fight with Zhang had fallen through during an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show tonight, Dern seemed as confused as anyone. \u201cThey were talking about Weili,\u201d she explained after replying that she didn\u2019t know why the bout wasn\u2019t happening. <\/p>\n

\u201cThey’d mentioned Macau, then the White House, Latest Jersey. So I\u2019m undecided what happened or what\u2019s occurring. But they got here back with Gillian Robertson, I believe, after her win against Amanda Lemos\u2026 I\u2019m undecided what the take care of Weili is or what is occurring.<\/p>\n

\u201cI could be excited to fight her, but not in a pressure way, like I would like to prove it to people\u2026 A variety of people say I\u2019m not the champ because I didn\u2019t beat her. <\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, it will just be an honor, and I\u2019d really wish to test myself. It will be amazing to beat her, but when I even have six more months or nonetheless many title fights I can get in and just get well and higher and be more prepared to fight her, I\u2019m excited for that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
<\/use><\/svg><\/p>\n
Join Our Newsletter<\/span><\/p>\n

Receive a digest of our greatest Bloody Elbow content each week direct to your mailbox<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Follow us on Google Discover Mackenzie Dern has explained how she ended up not taking up Weili Zhang in her first title defence this summer. Zhang failed in her effort to maneuver as much as flyweight and grow to be a two-weight world champion against Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 322. And after the actual fact, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":358579,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[338],"tags":[1125,20984,32634,19499,943,17817,1733,1148,3928,24376,8242],"class_list":["post-358578","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports","tag-beat","tag-dern","tag-gillian","tag-mackenzie","tag-reveals","tag-robertson","tag-shot","tag-title","tag-ufc","tag-weili","tag-zhang"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t