The UFC had the tribute package ready and it choked up both Michelle Waterson-Gomez and Joe Rogan.
Gillian Robertson stuck to her bread and butter Saturday at UFC 303 when he defeated seasoned veteran Michelle Waterson-Gomez with a grapple-centric attack.
From the opening bell, Robertson (13-8 MMA, 10-6 UFC) dominated Waterson-Gomez (18-12 MMA, 6-8 UFC) en route to a unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26) victory at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The strawweight bout was part of the preliminary card.
The bout turned out to be the final for Waterson-Gomez, 38, who announced her retirement in the cage following the bout. The promotion had a tribute package ready and played it as she tried to compose her emotions during her in-cage interview with Joe Rogan, who also became choked up.
“I’ve been contemplating this, and I’ve been talking to my husband,” Waterson-Gomez said. “‘What am I if I’m not fighting?’ He told me, ‘Just because you’re not fighting in the octagon doesn’t mean you stop fighting.’ That really helped me to accept moving on.”
An emotional tribute for Michelle Waterson-Gomez after she announced her retirement at #UFC303
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— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) June 30, 2024
Michelle Waterson-Gomez makes her final walk from the octagon to backstage following her #UFC303 retirement fight.
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— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) June 30, 2024
In defeat, Waterson-Gomez her fifth fight in a row and the seventh in her most recent eight. A professional fighter since 2007, Waterson-Gomez joined the UFC in 2015. While she did not fight for a title, Waterson-Gomez fought numerous champions and top-tier names, including Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Carla Esparza, and Rose Namajunas. Waterson-Gomez is also a former Invicta FC atomweight champion.
Robertson was in an advantageous position on the canvas for almost the entirety of the fight. Multiple armbar attempts were unsuccessful. Waterson-Gomez’s grappling was sufficient to prevent a submission but not good enough to get Robertson off her. Robertson mounted Waterson-Gomez in Round 3 and busted Waterson-Gomez up, but the fight ultimately went the distance.
With the victory, Robertson has won two in a row and four of her most recent five. While she spent much of her career at flyweight, Robertson has found a home at strawweight.
Up-to-the-minute UFC 303 results include:
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 303.
