LAS VEGAS — Canadian strawweight Gillian (The Savage) Robertson, using her ground game to control the action, won a unanimous decision over Brazil's Luana Pinheiro on the main card of a UFC Fight Night on Saturday.
The judges scored it 29-27, 29-28, 29-28 for Robertson (15-8-0), who should climb the rankings with her third straight win and fourth in her last five.
Pinheiro, who trains out of Los Angeles, is ranked 13th among UFC 115-pound contenders while Robertson is No. 14.
The main event at the UFC's Apex production facility pitted American veteran Neil (The Haitian Sensation) Magny, ranked 15th among welterweight contenders, against Carlos (The Nightmare) Prates of Brazil.
Robertson improved to 13-7-0 in the UFC. Despite that, she wasn't happy with her performance.
"A second decision in a row," Robertson lamented. "That's not what I'm here for. I'm here to finish fights.
"I'm just a lot better than what you guys have seen tonight."
Robertson held a 52-42 edge in significant strikes and was good on five of 17 takedown attempts, according to UFC Stats.
Robertson had won twice already this year, stopping Brazil's Polyana Viana via second-round TKO in January at UFC 29. In June, she won a unanimous decision over American Michelle (The Karate Hottie) Waterson-Gomez at UFC 303.
The 31-year-old Pinheiro (11-4-0) has lost three straight after winning her first three UFC outings.
Robertson was unable to wear her trademark red because Pinheiro, as the higher-ranked fighter, had the choice and opted for red. Robertson, who dyes her hair red, wore black.
Robertson clinched Pinheiro at the fence and took her down briefly in a first round that saw referee Chris Tognoni warn the Brazilian for grabbing the cage. Robertson landed on top late in the round when the two became tangled and lost their footing.
Pinheiro let her hands go in the second round as Robertson, a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, stalked her — unsuccessfully looking to get the fight to the ground. Robertson got hold of Pinheiro late in the round, dragging her down briefly.
Robertson got Pinheiro to the ground early in the third round, mounting the Brazilian and punishing her with elbows. The Brazilian briefly turned the tables later in the round but Robertson regained control and was on top, looking for a submission, as the fight ended.
The 29-year-old Robertson, who dropped to strawweight from flyweight (125 pounds) in early 2023, improved to 4-1-0 at 115 pounds.
She believes her one loss as a strawweight, by decision to Brazil's Tabatha (Baby Shark) Ricci in June 2023, came because she took the fight too soon "and my body wasn't quite ready to make the weight cut again."
Robertson weighted in at the strawweight non-title limit of 116 pounds for Saturday's fight while Pinheiro weighed in at 115.5 pounds.
Robertson was seven when her family left Niagara Falls, Ont., for Florida so her mother could take a nursing job. Robertson is now based out of Miami, where she trains at the Goats Shed gym.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2024.
The Canadian Press