Din Thomas owned his mistake after UFC 330.
MMA
Coach apologizes to Gillian Robertson for ‘despicable’ decision at UFC 330
Published
2 months agoon
On Saturday night, Thomas served double duty at the UFC event, working both as an on-air analyst and cornering Gillian Robertson in her strawweight title bid against Mackenzie Dern in the co-main event. Unfortunately, the latter didn't go so well, as Robertson lost a lackluster decision to Dern. But things got worse afterward, when Thomas announced during the UFC 330 post-show that he was retiring from cornering fighters, in a manner many felt was disrespectful to Robertson.
On Monday, Thomas, who hosts the UFC's Deep Waters show on YouTube, addressed the controversy at the start of their show, apologizing to Robertson for his behavior.
“We know how this is: it's an emotional rollercoaster,†Thomas said. “You're dealing with the same insecurities, the same highs and lows. Everything leading up to it, you have to deal with all that stuff. It's an emotional rollercoaster. And I've been very vocal about this, that it's not my favorite thing to do. I've tried to quit time and time before. When Tyron Woodley got knocked out by Jake Paul, I was like, ‘Yo, it's my last time doing this. It's my last time doing this; I'm not doing this no more.'
“But I took on Gillian, and I have to say, Saturday night was the most inappropriate time to bring up the fact that I did not want to corner again. It was completely irresponsible. It was despicable. I shouldn't have done it. I should have waited until maybe even today. I should have waited to a different time than take away her moment.â€
A respected former fighter and coach, Thomas has worked with Robertson since the beginning of her career, and especially because of that, he says that Robertson deserved better.
“This is a young lady that I've worked with for her entire career,†Thomas said. “The last seven years, it's just been me and her, working endlessly, just together — travelling, working together. They don't understand that we've been working endlessly, time and time again, together.
“I remember her coming to me crying, ‘I would like to win two in a row, three in a row.' And she went on this amazing run; she's broken records, and I, selfishly, stole her moment that night. Instead of congratulating her on her run, I stole her moment. And I want to apologize to her for that, because I stole her moment. I was completely wrong. I'm ashamed; I'm embarrassed. But I'm not too big to say I'm sorry.
“And for her, Gillian, I love you. I got your back. I've always had your back. This is not the end. I've always had your back, and I want you to know I'm always here for you. I'm always going to support you, and whatever you need, I'm always here for you. The same way I've been for you for the last seven years when it was just us. …
“It's been eating at me all weekend. I wish I could have did it sooner, but I couldn't. I didn't have the chance to. So, Gillian, I'm sorry. I hope you accept my apology. If it takes however long, that's how long it takes. But I'm sorry for stealing your moment, and I'm proud of you. Not only for what you've done in terms of your run, winning five in a row, getting a title shot, but even that night, coming back and winning the last round. Being able to do that in a title fight. So, I'm sorry. I hope you accept my apology. From the bottom of my heart, I'm sorry.â€
And while he makes no excuses for his actions, Thomas suggested that this whole incident happened because he was still hurting from Robertson's loss, and then had to go on air.
“In my head, I'm thinking, ‘I'm just trying to get the hell out of here. I don't want to do this no more. I'm sick of this!'†Thomas said. “… I'm heartbroken, but I've got to get on the desk and be objective, as well. And at the same time, I'm thinking to myself, ‘Man, I don't even like cornering. I just want to go home. I'm trying to get out of here. This is a wrap.' So, it's a tough spot. But again, I'm still wrong. I shouldn't have done that.â€
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MMA
16-0 Farid Basharat fires back at Dana White over UFC exit comments
Published
32 minutes agoon
October 19, 2026
Basharat is pushing back against suggestions that he was
difficult to work with.
Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana
White addressed Basharat's departure after
UFC Edmonton. White suggested there were reasons beyond the
unbeaten bantamweight's results for the decision not to renew his
contract, prompting a response.
Farid Basharat denies refusing UFC fights, cites Victor Hugo
weight miss and torn MCL
The UFC did not offer Basharat (16-0) a new contract despite his
7-0 promotional record. After White raised difficulties with
matchmakers and declined fights as possible reasons for such
departures, “Ferocious†reiterated that he had never turned down an
opponent and cited instances in which he competed under unfavorable
circumstances.
Basharat pointed to his victory over Victor Hugo, who weighed 145.5
pounds for their originally scheduled bantamweight bout in 2024 —
9.5 pounds above the non-title limit. He also said he competed with
a torn medial collateral ligament in his knee during his
Dana White's Contender Series appearance in 2022.
“He kind of alluded to, maybe I was turning down fights, or maybe I
was difficult to deal with,†Basharat said on Instagram. “I
definitely didn't turn nobody down. In fact, we're talking about
the same guy that, in Abu Dhabi, I fought in 2024; my opponent
missed weight by 10 pounds and I still went ahead with the fight…
Still put on a good show and won. In my Contender Series fight, I
had a torn MCL, still went ahead with the fight… These are facts
you can ask your UFC staff; you can ask the physio team.â€
MMA
Dana White won't give reason for undefeated fighter's head-scratching UFC exit
Published
14 hours agoon
October 18, 2026
Zuffa LLCUFC's decision to forgo re-signing undefeated bantamweight Farid Basharat has been puzzling to some, and Dana White hasn't given a true explanation.
Basharat is 16-0 in his pro MMA career, and he went 7-0 under the UFC banner. Despite his success, he ultimately wasn't offered a contract renewal with the top MMA promotion. Many have speculated that Basharat's streak of decisions led to his free agency.
During a chat with reporters during the UFC Edmonton post-fight presser, White implied that UFC matchmakers usually have a problem with the fighter in these situations, but he didn't give an actual reason for Basharat's case (h/t MMAMania.com).
“When guys' contracts are up — and this isn't the first time this has happened. Either guys aren't good to deal with, or the matchmakers don't want to deal with them, which could be turning down fights or whatever the reasoning is,†White said. “If you're 16-0 with 7 wins in the UFC and don't get re-signed, there's definitely a reason.â€
“Ferocious†last competed back in June on the preliminary portion of UFC 329. That card was headlined by the short-lived and disappointing return of Conor McGregor, who suffered ACL and meniscus injuries during his rematch against Max Holloway. Basharat defeated John Garza at the event via unanimous decision.
Decision victories had become a trend for Basharat at the end of his UFC run. His last five wins have gone the distance. Despite not having a a finish since Sept. 2023, Basharat isn't considered a boring fighter across the board. Whether or not he ran into problems with UFC matchmakers remains to be seen.
What do you make of UFC's decision to not offer Farid Basharat's a contract renewal? Do you think Basharat simply lacked the entertainment value and marketability? Join in on the conversation by sharing your opinion in the comments below.
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
MMA
Movsar Evloev thinks UFC 333 fight with Alexander Volkanovski could be 1st UFC finish: ‘Why not?’
Published
16 hours agoon
October 18, 2026
Movsar Evloev knows fans want to see him win a fight without the scorecards. He could make it happen against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 333.
This Saturday in Abu Dhabi, the undefeated Evloev makes the walk to the octagon for the biggest fight of his life as he challenges Volkanovski for the UFC featherweight title. Evloev is 20-0 as a pro, 10-0 since making his UFC debut in 2019, so it's fair to say he's earned his shot the hard way. One reason why it may have taken so long for the matchmakers to come around on Evloev is his lack of finishes, as he's yet to score a knockout or submission in the promotion.
UFC 333 would be the perfect time for his first.
“Maybe my fighting style [made it take longer than I expected], but still the most important thing is still winning the fight,†Evloev told MMA Fighting's José Youngs. “Now, I feel like I'm getting better and I've got more abilities to finish the fights and we were working on that since I won my last fight. Even before, it was always fun to finish opponents, but I had tough opponents. None of them is easy to finish. Even just to win them is already a big deal, right?
“Now, maybe my first finish in my first title fight, why not? I have everything to do that.â€
Evloev has also been plagued by bouts of inactivity, but when fight night rolls around, he's delivered, scoring victories over numerous ranked opponents. His past four wins have come against Lerone Murphy, Aljamain Sterling, Arnold Allen, and Diego Lopes, the latter of whom went on to leapfrog Evloev and meet Volkanovski in a pair of title fights.
That success has kept Evloev in the UFC's good graces, even without a standout highlight reel, which can't be said for some notable departures in the past few years, including the undefeated Farid Basharat, who was recently allowed to walk despite a 16-0 record. Evloev was asked for his thoughts on quality fighters not being kept on the roster, and he believes winning still matters.
“I have zero finishes in the UFC, but I'm still in UFC and I'm fighting for the title, so that means that not just finishes is important,†Evloev said. “To show a good fight is also important. Even if you have no finishes, you can show good fight, exciting fight. You can show the beauty of wrestling and there is not just fans of MMA who just wait for blood and something crazy, there are so many good fans who know MMA and they understand and maybe because of them I'm still in the UFC.â€
Volkanovski has suggested Evloev's wrestling won't be enough to beat him, and that the challenger will eventually have to throw down if he hopes to dethrone the two-time champion. For now, Evloev isn't taking the bait, and he's planning to stay the course with tactics that have paid major dividends so far.
Tactics that might just lead to him taking Volkanovski out inside the distance anyway.
“I have a responsibility,†Evloev said. “My whole republic, my whole country waiting for me to bring that title. OK, so for me, all of this is more important than just my ego, so maybe I will take the belt and then we will play around, like taking risks or something.â€
“Even if I knock him out, not because my wrestling doesn't work, but because it works very good, so I will make him tired,†he added. “Then, when I feel, OK we can knock him out, then I will try and knock him out. But he's saying he will take my confidence. Nobody can.â€
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