Coach Din Thomas Announces Retirement from Cornering After Gillian Robertson's UFC 330 Loss
Din Thomas said he will no longer serve as a corner for fighters following Gillian Robertson's defeat to Mackenzie Dern at UFC 330, prompting criticism from fellow fighters and commentators.
Din Thomas, who also worked as a broadcaster at UFC 330 in Philadelphia, announced on the post-event Paramount+ show that he is retiring from cornering fighters. The decision came after his longtime student Gillian Robertson lost a 25-minute bout to Mackenzie Dern for the women’s strawweight title. Thomas said he had planned to continue coaching Robertson until he felt she could no longer improve, but concluded that “that might be as far as she can go.” He added that cornering involves “a lot of work, a lot of stress” and that he does not assist fighters with weight-cutting, which he believes is unfair to them.
The remarks were widely criticized within the MMA community. UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland and commentator Jon Anik both responded on social media, with Anik calling the comments “awful.” Reporter Marcel Dorff said coaches should “stand behind your fighter in good and bad times.”
Thomas has coached Robertson since she was 15, and his departure marks the end of a partnership that began with the goal of reaching a UFC title fight.