Din Thomas Retires From Cornering After Robertson Loss

Din Thomas announced his retirement from cornering fighters moments after his student Gillian Robertson lost a strawweight title bid to Mackenzie Dern at UFC 330 in Philadelphia on Saturday night.

Thomas, who was pulling double duty as both a broadcast analyst and Robertson's corner coach, told the Paramount Plus post-show that Robertson had reached her ceiling. "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," he said, per MMA Mania. "I am officially retiring from cornering fighters tonight."

Strickland and Anik Blast Thomas For Public Comments

The remarks drew immediate backlash across social media. UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland called Thomas out directly, while veteran commentator Jon Anik wrote on X that the timing was terrible. "Wow. Awful," Anik posted. "Not about you, bro."

Thomas had trained Robertson since she was 15 years old, helping guide her to a UFC title shot against Dern. Robertson struggled with Dern's superior grappling and striking throughout the bout, and Thomas offered little tactical adjustment between rounds beyond generic encouragement.

Thomas cited the workload and stress of cornering as factors in his decision, adding that fighters deserve someone who will put in the full commitment. "They need somebody who's gonna really put that type of work in with them," he said.

No immediate comment from Robertson on her coach's announcement has been reported.

Reported via:

• MMA Mania — Din Thomas flamed for turning his back on Gillian Robertson after her UFC 330 loss: ‘Stand behind your fighter’