Robertson's Coach Thomas Announces Retirement After UFC 330 Loss

Din Thomas retired from cornering fighters minutes after his pupil Gillian Robertson lost a strawweight title fight at UFC 330 on Saturday.

Thomas, a longtime MMA coach and UFC on Paramount+ analyst, made the announcement during the post-fight broadcast following Robertson's decision loss to champion Mackenzie Dern in Philadelphia. "I told myself I would continue to do this until I took Gillian as far as she could go; I think that might be as far as she can go, and I am officially retiring from cornering fighters tonight," he said, per BJ Penn.

Thomas Says Corner Work No Longer Worth The Stress

Thomas added that he had considered stepping away earlier but wanted to see Robertson through the biggest bout of her career. He cited the weekly grind of preparing fighters for competition as a primary factor in his decision. "It's a lot of work, it's a lot of stress. You've got to be there all week," he told the broadcast team. Thomas said he would still mentor athletes but would no longer handle corner duties on fight night.

The timing of the announcement drew criticism from some observers, including UFC play-by-play announcer Jon Anik, who took issue with Thomas declaring his exit in the immediate aftermath of Robertson's defeat. Thomas referenced Matt Serra's decision to step back from cornering when explaining his own move away from cageside coaching.

Thomas now hosts the Deep Waters podcast. Robertson's next steps at 115 pounds are unclear following the loss to Dern.

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• BJPenn — Gillian Robertson’s coach announces retirement following UFC 330 loss: “I’m no longer cornering fighters”