Gillian
Robertson has addressed her recent defeat and comments from
longtime coach and mentor, Din
Thomas.

Robertson suffered a unanimous decision loss to
Ultimate Fighting Championship strawweight queen Mackenzie
Dern in her failed title bid at UFC
330 in Philadelphia.

Thomas later announced on the UFC 330 post-fight show that he's
stepping away from cornering fighters, saying he had taken
Robertson as far as he believes she can go. The timing of the
announcement subsequently drew criticism from both fans and
fighters. Robertson has now finally weighed in on the same.

Gillian Robertson says Din Thomas' comments made her question
his apology

Robertson, giving a statement to Ariel Helwani, says she had no
indication before the post-show broadcast that Thomas planned to
make the announcement.

“Prior to the broadcast, I didn't see any sign of what was to be
said,†Robertson said. “After the broadcast, he had said, ‘I will
address this in the morning,' followed by, ‘Going live on air in 15
minutes.'â€

Thomas later contacted her privately, but she has not responded to
his apology because of comments he made towards the rest of her
team.

“He did reach out to me privately at 5 p.m. and then sent a voice
message apologizing around 7:30 p.m., to which I have not responded
due to comments he has made since the broadcast privately to my
team that lead me to believe there is not much weight in the
apology.â€

She specifically cited the following comment from Thomas:

“Me doing that publicly was more so for TV purposes and
ratings.â€

The Canadian then discussed her future, adding that she'll soon
return to the gym and resume her quest for UFC gold.

“As for now, I regroup, take some time to heal, and I will be back
in the gym as soon as possible on the same mission,” Robertson
added.

I reached out to Gillian
Robertson following Din Thomas'
comments and subsequent apology to get her thoughts on the
situation. Here’s what she had to say:

“Prior to [Saturday’s broadcast], I didn’t see any sign of what was
to be said.

After the broadcast, he had said, ‘I will… pic.twitter.com/NnoonGmkGQ

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani)
August 18, 2026

At Contender Series last night, Dana White dropped this little nugget:

“This thing started July 17, 2017. From that date to today, the fighters who have made it into the UFC from Contender Series have made a $225.3 million. Talk about an opportunity.”

Yes, let’s talk about that opportunity.

First off, that’s 9 years. So, doing some quick math and rounding, that $25 million per year.

Now, the show has officially awarded 333 contracts, though White later noted that 420 fighters have competed in the UFC from Contender series.

So, take that $225M and split it up by 420, and we’re talking ~$535,000 per fighter. Of course, that’s over 9 years, and not all fighters make the same. Sean O’Malley, for instance, has probably cleared several million of that on his own. I’d love to know what the actual number is per fighter, but that math is too hard for me.

Also for reference, Victor Wembanyama just signed a 5-year $252M contract.

Week 2 of the 10th Season of
Dana White's Contender Series exceeded expectations.

Historic night in DWCS history as UFC signs six new fighters,
including one in defeat

Roman
Puga (6-1) and Taner
Trembley (7-1) kicked off the card in a featherweight clash. It
was one of the most memorable fights in DWCS history, with both
fighters repeatedly rocking each other. While Puga walked away with
a unanimous decision victory, Trembley's toughness was on full
display.

Dana White was walking out to award Puga an
Ultimate Fighting Championship contract when Sean Shelby
insisted that Trembley be given one as well.

“It takes two to make a great fight,†White said while awarding
both Puga and Trembley UFC contracts. “And this fight was
absolutely incredible. And because it was such a great fight, I got
to see so much well-roundedness and toughness from both guys. As
soon as this fight was over, I said, ‘Send both these guys to the
hospital right now.' So Puga — it's a no-brainer; I'm absolutely
bringing him in. And as I'm walking out here, Sean Shelby just
grabbed me and said, ‘I want Taner too.' So, both of these guys get
a contract with the UFC.â€

Alik
Lorenz (8-2) made his second Contender Series appearance in a
light heavyweight tilt against Mahamed Aly
(5-2). Lorenz floored Aly with an overhand right before finishing
him with hammer-fists. While White thought it was an early
stoppage, he was impressed enough with the +320 underdog Lorenz's
massive upset win.

“I did not agree with the stoppage; I thought the stoppage was a
bit early,†White said. “But Lorenz was teeing off on him with big
shots. And by the time the fight started, he was a 4-1 dog. So,
when you come in as a 4-1 dog and you do what you did tonight,
Lorenz, get over here, congratulations.â€

Cristian
Perez (15-2) took on Logan
Paxton (10-2) in a lightweight matchup. Perez looked flawless
as he picked apart Paxton en route to a second-round stoppage win.
White not only gave Perez a contract but also an offer to compete
at
Noche UFC 4 in September.

“Cristian Perez, incredible fight,†White said. “Again, two very
tough, durable guys and Christian Perez could not have looked any
better than he did tonight. And I hope he wants to fight at UFC
Noche.â€

Trent
Miller (10-3) also made his sophomore Contender Series
appearance in a middleweight matchup against Douglas
Henrique Rodrigues (7-2). A +270 underdog, Miller put Rodrigues
to sleep with a Von Flue choke in the second round to earn a UFC
contract.

“Trent Miller, unfortunately, I'm a very brutally honest guy,â€
White said. “Rodriguez was by far the better fighter in my opinion
and he was a 5-1 favorite. But you said, ‘F*ck that sh*t.' Not only
did you win the first round, but you came in and beat him in the
second round by Von Flue choke. Get over here, you're in the
UFC.â€

Another Contender Series veteran earned the final contract of the
night in the main event. Kaik Brito
(20-6) returned in a welterweight matchup against Namo Fazil
(10-2), three years after his first failed DWCS bid in 2023. While
Fazil was riding a lot of momentum after his recent win at
Most Valuable Promotions' inaugural MMA event, Brito put the
Iraqi to sleep with a right hand in the third round to earn a UFC
contract.

“And what could you not say about the main event? That was
incredible,†White said. “And the fact that Fazil has so many fans
in here going crazy. Brito, I love your style, the way you fight…
Came out with a flying knee in the third round, tried to finish the
fight, and finished it in spectacular fashion. I cannot wait to see
you fight in the UFC.â€

DWCS has proved to be one of the most reliable sources of scouting
future UFC stars. White revealed that fighters from DWCS have made
a combined $225.3 million in the UFC. There are also currently 420
active DWCS graduates on the UFC roster.

🚨 Dana White says fighters who earned UFC
contracts through the Contender Series have made a combined $225.3
MILLION pic.twitter.com/BT8HXjC0Lj

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS)
August 19, 2026