Gillian Robertson explains decision to drop down to strawweight, expects to submit Piera Rodriguez early at UFC Kansas City: “I expect it to be over fast”

Gillian Robertson will be returning to the strawweight division.

Before Robertson went on TUF and made her way into the UFC, she was competing at 115lbs but admittedly had a tough time making the weight. Once she signed with the UFC, she made 125lbs her home and went 8-5 inside the division. But, after really figuring out her diet, she believes the time is right to return to 115lbs.

“I think my last four or five fights now, I have been walking 127, 128 pretty much all through camp. It’s been a thought in my mind for the last couple of years to put in the extra work and extra cut to see if it makes a difference and see how I feel,” Robertson said on Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com. “It was a little bit too easy to get down to 125… If I don’t feel good performing, I’m not going to stay at strawweight. I’ve done everything possible to try and make this as easy as possible so if it doesn’t go well, there is nothing else I could have done and we are back to flyweight.”

Once Robertson knew she would be dropping down to strawweight, she wasn’t sure who she would get in her debut. Her hope was to return in early 2023, but she wasn’t offered a fight until this weekend’s UFC Kansas City event against Piera Rodriguez.

Against Rodriguez, Robertson expects to use her size to get the fight to the ground and end it quickly with another submission.

“I think it’s a really good matchup for me. I think she hasn’t been tested and she hasn’t seen a grappler of my ability in her career,” Robertson said. “We are going to see her in a different world… I know once we are on the floor it’s my world, there are very few girls in the world that can really compete with me there so I expect it to be over fast. Everybody knows how I see it playing out. I want to work on my ground and pound and show what I am capable and these girls keep falling in my chokes, so another rear-naked choke.”

If Gillian Robertson gets the stoppage win, the plan is to hopefully get a ranked opponent next. She also hopes to get on UFC 289 so she can fight back at home in Canada.

“At the moment it’s just getting a fight and getting a win. After this matchup, we will start looking at names and start hopefully looking at the rankings,” Robertson concluded.

Do you think Gillian Robertson will finish Piera Rodriguez at UFC Kansas City?