Din Thomas apologizes for retiring from cornering immediately after Gillian Robertson’s UFC 330 title loss

The announcement and immediate backlash

On Saturday night at UFC 330 in Philadelphia, Din Thomas served as an on-air analyst and cornered Gillian Robertson in her strawweight title fight against Mackenzie Dern in the co-main event. Robertson lost the bout by decision. During the UFC 330 post-show, Thomas announced he was retiring from cornering fighters, stating that he had committed to taking Robertson “as far as she could go” and believed he had accomplished that goal with her loss.

Why the timing provoked criticism

Thomas’s retirement announcement drew swift criticism from fans, media, and fighters for its poor timing and implication that Robertson had reached her ceiling as a fighter. Many viewed the statement as disrespectful to Robertson immediately after a significant loss, particularly given that Thomas had been her coach throughout her entire seven-year career. Robertson had won five consecutive fights before the title shot and had broken records on that winning streak after dropping to 115 pounds. The MMA community, including UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland, called out Thomas on social media for abandoning his fighter at a difficult moment.

Thomas’s apology and explanation

On Monday, Thomas addressed the controversy at the start of his “Deep Waters” show on the UFC’s YouTube channel. He acknowledged his mistake directly, saying the announcement “was the most inappropriate time” to discuss his retirement and calling his own behavior “irresponsible” and “despicable.” Thomas described the decision-making process as an “emotional rollercoaster” and noted he had previously tried to quit cornering work after other high-profile losses, such as when Tyron Woodley was knocked out by Jake Paul.

Thomas emphasized that Robertson deserved better treatment, particularly given their long working relationship. He recalled Robertson approaching him in the past asking to put together two or three consecutive wins before she went on her record-breaking run. “I selfishly stole her moment that night,” Thomas said, “and instead of congratulating her on her run, I stole her moment.” He concluded the apology by reaffirming his support for Robertson, stating “I love you. I got your back. I’ve always had your back. This is not the end.”

The loss and Robertson’s status

Robertson was dominated for much of her fight with Dern, though she had a strong fifth round where she took Dern down and spent much of the round in top position. The loss ended her five-fight winning streak. Robertson had been aiming to become Canada’s first UFC champion since Georges St-Pierre.

Sources

• MMA Fighting — Din Thomas apologizes to Gillian Robertson for his ‘despicable’ decision to retire at UFC 330 · Sean Strickland calls Din Thomas ‘sh*t coach’ for reaction to Gillian Robertson loss at UFC 330
• CBS Sports
• MMA Mania

Featured photo: Original uploader was East718 at en:Wp via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)