Mackenzie Dern successfully defended her UFC strawweight title for the first time on Saturday, earning a dominant unanimous decision victory over Gillian Robertson in the co-main event of UFC 330.
Dern, a multi-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion, controlled much of the fight but was unable to secure the submission she had been seeking. Despite the one-sided nature of the victory, the champion admitted afterward that she was frustrated by her inability to finish Robertson.
Speaking to reporters at the post-fight press conference, Dern said she was pleased with her performance but still wanted more.
“It feels good. But I mean, it could feel even better if I would have got the submission,” Dern said. “I'm someone that like…I'm always looking for the best performance possible, so I'm happy with my wrestling, I'm happy with I guess the dominance of the fight, but I wanted to submit Gillian for sure.”
Dern’s comments reflected the high standards she has set for herself since reaching the top of the UFC’s 115-pound division. Although she secured a clear decision victory, the champion believes there are still areas of her game that need improvement as she looks to establish a lengthy reign.
“I still see lots of things that I want to get better (at) just to be able to defend it more and more times,” Dern said.
The victory nevertheless marked an important step for Dern as champion. After getting her first title defense under her belt, she believes the performance demonstrated that she has solidified her position at the top of the division.
“But (I) definitely feel like (I) solidified myself as a champ,” Dern said.
