The UFC’s strawweight division is in flux, and Gillian Robertson took a step toward title contention on Saturday with the biggest win of her career, defeating onetime title challenger Amanda Lemos at UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas.
Robertson (17-8), who is No. 7 in ESPN’s 115-pound rankings, utilized her superior grappling to control the sixth-ranked Lemos (15-6-1) for her fifth straight victory. It was a statement win, as Lemos has competed at a high level, challenging then-champion Zhang Weili in 2023 and following that loss by defeating Mackenzie Dern, who now owns the belt. Robertson was taken the distance on Saturday, but she still took the opportunity afterward to tout her finishing history, the best among women in the UFC.
“That’s five wins in a row,” Robertson said. “I’ve got the most finishes out of any woman [10], the most submissions out of any woman [seven]. All I need is that belt to solidify myself.”
Lemos was in control at the start, maintaining striking distance with jabs and low kicks. But midway through Round 1, Robertson got a takedown, and that changed the way the rest of the fight was fought.
“A little bit of a rough start,” Robertson said. “But the next round, I took it over.”
Robertson, who is 30 and from Niagara Falls, Ontario, landed just one takedown in each of the remaining two rounds, but she maintained top control for 4 minutes, 6 seconds in Round 2 and 3:33 in the third. She inflicted minimal damage and was unable to lock in a submission, but Robertson made it an easy call for the judges, landing more than twice as many strikes as her 38-year-old Brazilian opponent in each of the final two rounds. All three judges scored the bout 29-28 in Robertson’s favor.
There is the potential for much jostling for position in the strawweight top 10, with six ranked fighters in action within a month. In addition to Robertson vs. Lemos, third-ranked Virna Jandiroba meets No. 10 Tabatha Ricci on April 4, and a week later, No. 5 Tatiana Suarez faces eighth-ranked Loopy GodÃnez. Among those not competing during this period are Dern, who does not have a fight on the books, and Zhang, who has not yet revealed whether she will return to strawweight after falling short in her challenge of flyweight champ Valentina Shevchenko in November.
Robertson and Lemos were scheduled to meet in December, but the Nevada State Athletic Commission canceled the bout on fight day because of a medical issue involving Lemos.
Saturday’s rescheduled Robertson-Lemos bout was the co-main event of a fight card headlined by a featherweight bout between Josh Emmett, ranked No. 9 in the division by ESPN, and unranked Kevin Vallejos. It turned into a showcase for Vallejos (18-1), who won his seventh fight in a row and made it look easy. He scored an early knockdown, outstuck Emmett 43-3 and got the TKO at 3:33 of Round 1. Emmett (19-7) has lost three fights in a row and five of his past six.
“I have the utmost respect for Josh Emmett,” Vallejos, a 24-year-old Argentine, said through an interpreter, speaking of his 41-year-old opponent. “I grew up watching his brutal knockouts. And I’m not going to lie: I came in here with a little bit of fear, but I made it.”
Earlier in the evening, Eryk Anders beat Brad Tavares in a meeting of veteran middleweights, and Anders announced his retirement afterward. Anders, 38, has been in the UFC since 2017 but is best known for his college football career, starting for Alabama and leading the Crimson Tide in tackles in the 2009 BCS national championship game.