Fighting In Canada Means Everything To Gillian Robertson

Originally from Niagara Falls, Ontario, “The Savage” earned a knockout win at UFC 240 in Edmonton and, to this day, that fight is the one that stands alone at the top of her 15-fight UFC career.

“I feel like there is no fight that I can compare to my fight versus Sarah Frota in Edmonton,” Robertson recalled. “Just the energy in the crowd, it was absolutely incredible post-fight and that’s what I’m excited for. That post-fight feeling with the crowd cheering. Just the energy in the stadium, even walking out, is going to be insane.”

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So much has changed for Robertson since that night in Edmonton. At just 28 years old, Robertson has already been in the UFC for over six years, and she’s quite literally grown up in the Octagon.

For most of her UFC career, she was a force at flyweight, setting and still holding the record for the most submission wins (6) and finishes (7) in division history. She also is currently tied with Katlyn Chookagian for the most fights at 125 pounds.

At the end of 2022, Robertson decided that her best shot at being a champion would come down a weight class, at strawweight. Immediately the move paid dividends as she submitted Piera Rodríguez in her first fight at 115 pounds since before her UFC days.

Four days after the win, she received a new contract to fight rising contender Tabatha Ricci. Robertson, who loves to stay active, accepted the fight and jumped back into camp. It was a learning lesson for Robertson. Her body just didn’t feel the same making the cut to 115 pounds two times in the span of two-and-a-half months and it showed in the fight versus Ricci. 

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Robertson lost by unanimous decision and decided that she needed to be more strategic with when she fights going forward.

“I’m hoping to be as active as possible this year. At 115 pounds I can’t be as active as I was at 125-pounds,” Robertson said. “That was sort of a learning curve in my last fight.”

“It’s definitely been a lot of a learning process. Some wins and some losses, just keep on moving forward. I think it was a default for me that I got into the UFC so early, so I kind of did all my learning on the big stage. I feel like everybody has got to see that and I hope I’m at a point where I’m done learning and just keep climbing up now.”

That climb truly begins this weekend, where she will face a talented submission artist in Viana. While Viana’s skills on the canvas may give most fighters some problems, that’s exactly where Robertson hopes the fight will go.

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“I think she’s very well-crafted on the ground. She’s got a lot of submissions, like armbars, triangles, and things like that. But that’s my world,” Robertson said. “That’s why I’m excited. She wants to go where I feel like I’m going to be the best.”

“I feel like we are playing different games. She’s going to be playing jiu jitsu while I’m playing MMA. I’m always looking to do damage and looking for submissions and looking to take her out any way possible.”

Beating Viana in dominant fashion would be the perfect way to kick off her 2024 campaign and put her on the path to her big goal for the year.

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“I’m expecting myself to be ranked,” Robertson said. “I want a ranked opponent before the end of the year and want to see a number next to my name. And to keep pushing my submission record further.”

And the best part is she’ll get her 2024 journey started right at home.