Gillian Robertson called her shot, and has landed her next opponent.
The Canadian, who holds the UFC women’s submissions record, was in action at UFC Kansas City last weekend, submitting Piera Rodriguez via arm-bar.
The victory was Robertson’s seventh via submission in the UFC, and also came in her return to the strawweight division, where she last competed in the UFC. Following the win, Robertson made a smart callout of Tabatha Ricci — a fight the UFC has now put together as part of their June 24, 2023 Fight Night event.
News of the match-up, which has yet to be finalized, was first reported by Meni Mayer. Cageside Press confirmed the booking with a source familiar with the situation.
That date sees Robertson just miss the promotion’s return to Canada, with UFC 289 in Vancouver on June 10. But now competing at 115lbs, that quick of a turnaround was always a long shot, even for a fighter who loves to stay busy.
Robertson (12-7) has won two straight fights and three of her last four, all by submission. The Rodriguez win in Kansas City, MO also saw her pick up her first Performance of the Night bonus.
Ricci (8-1) debuted in the UFC on short notice as a flyweight against Manon Fiorot, dropping that bout — but since returning to 115lbs, she’s 3-0. Most recently,
“Baby Shark” forced former title challenger Jessica Penne to tap to an arm-bar.
The UFC’s June 24, 2023 Fight Night event is set for Jacksonville, Florida at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, and will be headlined by featherweights Josh Emmett and Ilia Topuria. UFC President Dana White announced earlier this week that the show will air on broadcast network ABC, making the event UFC on ABC 5.
The following match-ups have been reported for the card thus far:
- Josh Emmett vs. Ilia Topuria
- Tatsuro Taira vs. Kleydson Rodrigues
- Maycee Barber vs. Amanda Ribas
- Gillian Robertson vs. Tabatha Ricci
