{"id":359073,"date":"2026-07-01T07:16:04","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T01:46:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/?p=359073"},"modified":"2026-07-01T07:16:05","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T01:46:05","slug":"gillian-robertson-admits-zhang-weili-deserved-the-spot-before-me-in-response-to-ufc-330-title-shot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/2026\/07\/01\/gillian-robertson-admits-zhang-weili-deserved-the-spot-before-me-in-response-to-ufc-330-title-shot\/","title":{"rendered":"Gillian Robertson admits Zhang Weili \u2018deserved the spot before me’ in response to UFC 330 title shot"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

Gillian Robertson knows that she isn\u2019t speculated to be next in line for a strawweight title shot.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2018The Savage\u2019 has put together a powerful five-fight win streak to develop into a top contender at 115lbs. <\/p>\n

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Still, everyone was shocked when she was booked to face Mackenzie Dern for strawweight gold at UFC 330 on August 15. <\/p>\n

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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

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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

Gillian Robertson doesn\u2019t know why she ignored Zhang Weili <\/h2>\n

Last yr, the previous UFC strawweight champion Zhang Weili vacated her belt to pursue a super-fight.<\/p>\n

\u2018Magnum\u2019 jumped as much as flyweight, but fell short in her bid to develop into a two-weight champion at UFC 322.<\/p>\n

125lb queen Valentina Shevchenko outpointed Zhang over five rounds to retain her flyweight title in November. <\/p>\n

The Chinese superstar was expected to return to strawweight and fight Mackenzie Dern, who claimed the vacant 115lb strap in her absence. <\/p>\n

\u201cI used to be just hoping for the most effective, I assume,\u201d Gillian Robertson said when asked if she was surprised to get a title shot during an appearance on Tuesday\u2019s episode of The Ariel Helwani Show.<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew that Weili was definitely within the talks if she was coming back. I do think she deserved the spot before me.<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously, things didn\u2019t work out that way. I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s something on her side, the UFC side, whatever.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut after my last performance, I expected the decision, and I used to be hoping for it so long as Weili wasn\u2019t back in the image.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been waiting for it to occur. I knew that so long as Weili wasn\u2019t in the image, it was my shot. I used to be just waiting for it. When it happened, I used to be definitely hit with a whole lot of emotion, nevertheless it just seems like it\u2019s time.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Gillian Robertson reacts to getting the strawweight title shot over Zhang Weili: <\/p>\n

“I knew that Weili was definitely within the talks if she was coming back. I do think she deserved the spot before me.<\/p>\n

Obviously, things didn’t work out that way. I do not know if it’s something on her\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/AwdHWQSw2T<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) June 30, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Who else is fighting at UFC 330?<\/h2>\n

Mackenzie Dern vs. Gillian Robertson will co-headline UFC 330 on the\u00a0Xfinity Mobile Arena\u00a0in\u00a0Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on August 15.<\/p>\n

The foremost event will see Islam Makhachev defend his welterweight title against Ian Machado Garry. <\/p>\n

To date, eight fights have been announced for the cardboard. See below for the present UFC 330 line-up.<\/p>\n

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  • <\/use><\/svg>Islam Makhachev vs. Ian Machado Garry<\/li>\n
  • <\/use><\/svg>Mackenzie Dern vs. Gillian Robertson<\/li>\n
  • <\/use><\/svg>Geoff Neal vs. Chidi Njokuani<\/li>\n
  • <\/use><\/svg>Myktybek Orolbai vs. Jeremiah Wells<\/li>\n
  • <\/use><\/svg>Vicente Luque vs. Tresean Gore<\/li>\n
  • <\/use><\/svg>Dustin Stoltzfus vs. Mansur Abdul-Malik<\/li>\n
  • <\/use><\/svg>Edson Barboza vs. Esteban Ribovics<\/li>\n
  • <\/use><\/svg>Erin Blanchfield vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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    <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Follow us on Google Discover Gillian Robertson knows that she isn\u2019t speculated to be next in line for a strawweight title shot. \u2018The Savage\u2019 has put together a powerful five-fight win streak to develop into a top contender at 115lbs. Still, everyone was shocked when she was booked to face Mackenzie Dern for strawweight gold […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":359074,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21048],"tags":[1504,32900,32634,488,17817,1733,3399,1148,3928,24376,8242],"class_list":["post-359073","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mma","tag-admits","tag-deserved","tag-gillian","tag-reaction","tag-robertson","tag-shot","tag-spot","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