Canada’s Gillian Robertson (7-4) was supposed to fight at home in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan next month. However, with the UFC forced to cancel that event due to the coronavirus pandemic, Robertson is now fighting elsewhere — against a new opponent in Cortney Casey (9-7).
A source close to the booking confirmed the match-up to Cageside Press on Thursday. The fiery-haired Canadian had been expected to face Talia Santos on June 20 in Saskatoon. That date remains the same, though the opponent and location will not. While the border remains closed, Robertson lives and trains in Florida, allowing her to easily compete stateside under the current conditions.
ESPN’s Ariel Helwani previously mentioned that a fight between the pair was being discussed.
Casey recently won her UFC flyweight debut at UFC Jacksonville, against Mara Romero Borella. She’ll be making a quick turnaround against Robertson, who is 4-2 inside the UFC’s 125lb division.
Robertson has been sitting on the sidelines longer than she’d like. While healthy, she told us recently that she had a long wait ahead of the Santos date — albeit she now has a different opponent. Robertson is 2-1 in her last three, with a loss to Maycee Barber, and wins over Veronica Macedo and Sarah Frota.
The UFC’s June 20 card, which does not yet have a name or main event, is expected to take place in Las Vegas, Nevada at the promotion’s Apex facility. Whether the event is allowed to move forward as planned hinges on a May 27 meeting of the Nevada State Athletic Commission. If Nevada is off the table, Arizona remains a possibility.
