Gillian Robertson defeated Marina Rodriguez by technical knockout Saturday at UFC on ESPN 67, a victory that prompted Rodriguez to announce her retirement and moved Robertson closer to the top contenders in the division.
Robertson, a Canadian strawweight, stopped the Brazilian veteran at 2:07 of the second round. The fight took place on the undercard at Wells Fargo Arena.
The bout marked Robertson's fourth straight win. She used grappling to control the action, seeking submissions and landing strikes on the ground.
Before the fight, Robertson held the No. 12 spot in the UFC Rankings, while Rodriguez was ranked No. 9. The result is expected to elevate Robertson into the top 10 contenders for the strawweight title.
The victory also marked Robertson's 10th stoppage win inside the UFC octagon, tying her with former two-division champion Amanda Nunes for the most finishes in the promotion's women's history. Details on her record-tying performance are available here ((Source)).
Following the loss, Rodriguez, 38, announced her retirement from mixed martial arts. She leaves the sport with a record of 17-6-2. It was her third straight defeat and fifth loss in her last six contests.
In other results on the card, Canadian bantamweight Serhiy Sidey won a unanimous decision over American Cameron Smotherman. Full event results can be found here ((Source)). The main event featured American Cory Sandhagen against Brazil's Deiveson Figueiredo. Analysis of the main event matchup was detailed here ((Source)).
With her win streak extended, the 29-year-old Robertson called for a bout against Amanda Lemos, who is tied for fourth in the rankings.
"A lot of respect to Marina but I’m super-happy with my performance," Robertson said after the fight.
