Gillian Robertson is making a quick turnaround.
Robertson returned at strawweight back in April and submitted Piera Rodriguez in the first round. After the win, she called out Tabatha Ricci and was granted her wish as she will return just two months later at UFC Jacksonville.
“I fought Saturday and I had the contract the next Thursday. It is a very quick turnaround and even a quick turnaround mentally as once you get the contract you are back on and focused… To be able to have a lot of my friends and family there is awesome and my whole team is going to be making the trip out there,” Robertson said on Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com. “I will have a lot of crowd support, but I would have loved to be on the Canada card. I’m just ready to get back up there.”
Although Robertson is returning so soon, she is excited about the opponent given Ricci accepted her callout. The Canadian also believes she deserves the chance to fight a ranked opponent at strawweight after being ranked at flyweight before.
“I’m not surprised it’s happening so soon because of how many fights I have in the UFC,” Robertson said. “I knew that I am of that caliber and after my last fight, I called out Tabatha Ricci, and the only reason being she is ranked 15th. I believe I deserve to be up there and plan to show that on June 24.”
Entering the fight, Gillian Robertson knows Tabatha Ricci is a great grappler as well. Usually, when two grapplers fight it turns into a striking fight, but at UFC Jacksonville, Robertson will welcome the ground as she believes she can submit Ricci.
“It adds more to the fight. I’m always going for the finish, usually the armbar or a choke, I expect to be able to get it… With me, I don’t shy away from the grappling exchanges because I’m a different type of grappler,” Robertson said. “It’s a different type of top pressure, a lot of ground-and-pound which changes the game. I don’t shy away from it, if she wants to take me down, I’m aggressive off my back.”
If Gillian Robertson does submit Tabatha Ricci at UFC Jacksonville as she expects, the Canadian already has a name in mind as she plans to callout Mackenzie Dern.
“The commentators talked about Mackenzie Dern being the submission queen, but I’m sitting over here wanting to get more respect. I’m just going to keep pushing the record farther away and making sure she can’t touch it… I’m not looking past Tabatha at all but that probably is the move for me next, so hopefully Mackenzie is across the Octagon from me next time out,” Robertson concluded.
