Mackenzie Dern defended her 115-pound championship title with a unanimous decision win over Gillian Robertson at UFC 330 in Philadelphia. This marked Dern’s first title defense after securing the vacant strawweight belt at UFC 321. The judges scored the fight 49-46, 49-46, and 48-47 in favor of Dern.
Dern aimed to secure a submission against Robertson, nearly achieving it in the first round with a choke hold. However, Robertson managed to endure until the bell. The remaining rounds were less eventful, characterized by grappling exchanges with minimal striking. Throughout the fight, Dern’s young daughter cheered from the front row, her voice resonating over the subdued crowd.
In the night’s main event, Islam Makhachev could set a UFC record for consecutive wins if he defeats Ian Machado Garry. Makhachev, holding a 28-1 record, has matched Anderson Silva’s streak of 16 consecutive victories and seeks to make it 17. He won the welterweight crown by defeating Jack Della Maddalena in UFC 322.
Veteran fighter Edson Barboza announced his retirement following a loss to Esteben Ribovics. The 40-year-old received a standing ovation and was surrounded by family as he laid down his gloves on the mat. Barboza’s career began in 2009, and he made his UFC debut in 2010, earning multiple ‘Fight of the Night’ awards along the way.
This event marked only the third UFC numbered card in Philadelphia and the first fight event in the city since 2019. Despite a decade-long gap, the arena was packed with enthusiastic fight fans eager for action.
Local fighter Jeremiah Wells, initially booed, won the crowd over with a submission victory. Tresean Gore notched a win but lost several teeth in his fight against Vecente Luque, exhibiting them to announcer Joe Rogan post-fight.
Charles Johnson delighted fans with his submission win, leading an ‘off-key’ version of ‘Fly, Eagles. Fly.’ as he exited the octagon to cheers.
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