Dern Scolds Thomas Over UFC 330 Corner Split

Mackenzie Dern has criticized Din Thomas for how he handled his split from Gillian Robertson's corner team following UFC 330.

Thomas announced his retirement from cornering during the UFC 330 post-fight show, suggesting Robertson's title-challenge loss to Dern revealed the ceiling of her potential. The longtime coach and analyst later apologized but maintained his decision to step away from cornering duties, according to BJPenn.com.

Dern Questions Thomas's Public Announcement

Dern addressed the controversy during an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show. "I don't know why that had to be something public; you could have just told your athlete whatever you wanted to say, not even announced," she said, per the report. "They could've had their own [split] for personal reasons, but there are some things that don't need to be shared with the public."

The strawweight champion called Thomas's decision to go public poor form. "The fact that it was something that was put out there; it just wasn't good etiquette," Dern said. "He came back and said sorry, but it doesn't seem like he really changed what he thinks or what he thought."

Dern defended Robertson's career trajectory, noting the challenger broke records to reach the title shot and has room to grow at 31. "It's definitely more about him than her," she added.

Thomas had cornered Robertson throughout her UFC run, including wins over Amanda Lemos, Marina Rodriguez, and Michelle Waterson-Gomez. Dern stopped Robertson at UFC 330 to defend the title she won last year and is expected to face Zhang Weili next.

Reported via:

• BJPenn — Mackenzie Dern scolds Din Thomas after post-fight cornering ‘retirement’ at UFC 330