Din
Thomas is done cornering fighters after Gillian
Robertson's recent defeat.

Thomas was in Robertson's corner as she challenged Mackenzie
Dern for the
Ultimate Fighting Championship strawweight title at UFC
330 in Philadelphia. Robertson had no answer for Dern on the
mat and in the stand-up, making for a lackluster performance and a
one-sided title retention for the champ.

Din Thomas on no longer cornering fighters after UFC 330: ‘It's
not fair to them'

Thomas subsequently announced his retirement from cornering during
the UFC 330 post-show. The former UFC fighter explained that he
wanted to see Robertson through as far as she could reach and
believes the failed title bid might have been the height of success
that Robertson can achieve in the sport.

While Thomas will continue to help fighters, he doesn't want to
operate as a cornerman, as it takes a lot of commitment.

“I told myself I would continue to do this until I took Gillian as
far as she could go,†Thomas said. “I think that might be as far as
she can go and I am officially retiring from cornering fighters
tonight. I'm doing the Matt Serra,
I'm no longer cornering fighters… I'll still work with guys. I just
don't want to go down the road. It's a lot of work; it's a lot of
stress. You got to be there all week. I don't cut weight with them;
it's not fair to them. They need somebody who's going to put in
that type of work in with them.â€

Thomas (26-9) was a semifinalist in “The Ultimate Fighter†in 2006
and went on to have three short stints in the UFC. He retired from
fighting in 2013 and has been working as an analyst with the UFC
for the past few years.

Din Thomas
announced that he is retiring from cornering fighters

📺 @paramountplus
pic.twitter.com/zdkW27eVxk

— UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount)
August 16, 2026

Jalin
Turner is no longer disturbed by the thought of doing damage to
his opponents.

Turner (16-9) had briefly retired last year following a submission
loss to Ignacio
Bahamondes. “The Tarantula†revealed that the thought of
hurting his counterparts was taking a toll on him. Turner was
especially scarred by a violent knockout win over King Green
and a back-and-forth clash against Dan
Hooker.

However, Turner has since returned to action and scored two
first-round knockout wins in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship. He opened up about the same
after his latest victory.

Jalin Turner reveals change in mindset that makes fighting
‘more peaceful'

Turner viciously dispatched Kaue
Fernandes with a left hook at UFC
330. While he's previously stated that the violence of mixed
martial arts bothered him, the 31-year-old has since changed his
perspective.

The American has realized that his opponents are also sharing the
Octagon with him because of their love for the sport. Turner now
knows that getting hurt is inevitable in a sport like MMA. His
change in perspective has eased the burden in his mind of punishing
his opponents.

“The [King Green] and Dan fights got to me,†Turner told Full Send
MMA. “All those fights got to me. But now I know that I'm here and
it's not because of me. It's so much more past than just I'm trying
to hurt people; I'm trying to beat people up… Now, the person
across the Octagon from me loves what they do as much as I do. When
I started thinking about it like that, that makes it a little bit
more peaceful.â€

Turner was riding a five-fight finishing streak in 2022 before
dropping four of his next five. In one of those losses, Turner
walked off after knocking down Renato
Carneiro, only for the Brazilian to get back up and turn the
tables, stopping him later on. While his stock briefly plummeted,
his last two knockout wins have reminded fans of the threat he
poses.

Jalin
Turner explains how he overcame his own emotions when faced
with the possibility of hurting his opponents

“The King
Green and Dan Hooker
fights got to me. Then I realized the person across from me wants
to be there as much as I do. That made it more peaceful†pic.twitter.com/Tm0cuDRH78

— FULL SEND MMA (@full_send_mma)
August 16, 2026

Khabib Nurmagomedov has some big praise for Islam Makhachev in the aftermath of UFC 330.

Makhachev was in search of history this past Saturday in Philadelphia. The king of the welterweight division had his first successful 170-pound title defense, and broke a UFC record for most consecutive wins. Makhachev utilized his grappling and had success in the standup against Ian Machado Garry to fight his way to a unanimous decision.

Nurmagomedov was the main voice in Makhachev's corner on fight night, and he hopped on Instagram to share the utmost praise for his longtime friend and protege.

“There's a word: Achievement,†Nurmagomedov wrote. “In sports, it means a lot, and Islam and ‘achievement' are synonyms. He has reached the pinnacle of this sport, broken the record for the longest winning streak in UFC history, and is rightfully considered one of the best athletes to ever step into the Octagon. May the Almighty keep you safe, Brother.â€

Prior to Saturday's big UFC on Paramount+ event, longtime color commentator Joe Rogan said he wouldn't be surprised if Makhahcev were to retire with a win over Garry, but the 170-pound ruler doesn't plan to wrap things up just yet. Makhachev will be taking some time to heal up following a hard-fought win over Garry, but he wants to fight again prior to Ramadan.

Top welterweight contenders Carlos Prates and Michael Morales were in attendance for UFC 330. Makhachev has said he believes Prates is ahead of Morales on the pecking order. The champion believes Morales has been too inactive and needs to at least win a No. 1 contender fight.

As for Garry, he issued a video statement on his Instagram page. “The Future†claimed to have taken Makhachev to the wire, and he still believes he can become a UFC titleholder.

Who should be the next challenger for Islam Makhachev's UFC welterweight title? Join in on the conversation in the comments below.

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM

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